DUKE 

UNIVERSITY 


LIBRARY 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Duke  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/goldencaribbeanw1900blan 


Cartagena. 


THE 

GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


A  WINTER  VISIT  TO 

THE  REPUBLICS  OF  COLOMBIA,  COSTA 
RICA,  SPANISH  HONDURAS,  BELIZE 
AND  THE  SPANISH  MAIN 

VIA  BOSTON  AND  NEtV  ORLEANS 


WRITTEN  AND  ILLUSTRATED  BY 

HENRY  R.  BLANEY 

AUTHOR  OF  “OLD  BOSTON,”  “PHOTOGRAVURE,”  ETC. 


BOSTON 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  PUBLISHERS 
MCM 


Copyright,  1900,  by  The  United  Fruit  Company. 


All  rights  reserved. 


The  Golden  Caribbean. 


Color  Reproductions  by  Osgood  Art  Colortype  Co. 
New  York 


Norwood  Press 

y.  S.  Cushing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  Smith 
Norwood ,  Muss. ,  U.  S.  A. 


CONTENTS 


V 


The  Golden  Caribbean 

CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

l 

CHAPTER  II 

Republic  of  Colombia,  S.A . 7 


Historical  Notes 

CHAPTER  III 

. 13 

Cartagena 

CHAPTER  IV 

. 19 

CHAPTER  V 

Colombia  and  the  Colombians . 27 

CHAPTER  VI 

Bocas  del  Toro,  Republic  of  Colombia,  S.A.  ...  33 

CHAPTER  VII 

Folk-lore  of  Colombia . 41 

CHAPTER  VIII 


Costa  Rica,  C.A.  . 


48 


VI 


CO NT ENTS 


CHAPTER  IX 

PAGE 

Banana  Culture  in  Costa  Rica . 68 


El  Salvador 

CHAPTER  X 

. 73 

CHAPTER  XI 

The  Republic  of  Honduras . 87 

CHAPTER  XII 

The  Republic  of  Guatemala . 99 

CHAPTER  XIII 

British  Honduras . .  .  .102 

CHAPTER  XIV 


From  New  Orleans  to  Port  Limon,  Costa  Rica 


1  *3 


LIST  OF  COLOR  REPRODUCTIONS 


Cartagena  .........  Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGS 

Shaddock,  Tangerine,  Orange  .......  4 

Market  Cart,  Cartagena . 8 

Cartagena  Bird  Seller . .12 

Escape  of  the  Buccaneers . 18 

Boca  Chica  (Cartagena) . 20 

Macaw . 26 


Church  of  San  Juan  de  Dios,  Cartagena 
Hibiscus  Grandiflora . 


Main  Street  of  Bocas  del  Toro . 40 

Indian  Woman  of  Talamanca,  Costa  Rica  ....  44 
Indian  Woman  and  Children,  Costa  Rica  ....  48 

In  the  Forest  of  Costa  Rica . 54 

Bridge  in  the  Suburbs  of  Cartago . 56 

San  Jose  (Peon  Market  Cart) . 58 

The  Plain  of  San  Jose . 62 

Antique  Indian  Costa  Rican  Pottery . 66 

Fresh  from  the  Plantation . 72 

Ruins  of  Church  at  Orosi,  Costa  Rica . 76 

vii 


LIST  OF  COLOR  REPRODUCTIONS 


viii 

FACING  PAGE 

Indian  Woman.  Costa  Rica . 80 

A  Plantation  Laborer . 84 

The  Honduras  Coast . 88 

San  Pedro  Sula . 92 

Central  Park  (Tegucigalpa,  Honduras) . 94 

Cargo  Boats . 98 

Belize  (Old  Cate) . 102 

Street  in  Belize  (British  Honduras)  .....  106 

Maya  Monolith  (Belize) . no 

Belize  (Washerwoman) . 112 

Black  Pine,  Cherrimoyer.  Avacado  Pear,  etc.  .  .  .116 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


CHAPTER  I 

“  Tl?e  Cjold^r;  Qaribbeai?” 

ROM  the  deck  of  one  of  the  “  admirals  ”  of  the 


United  Fruit  Company’s  line  of  steamers,  we  bid 


.  good-by  for  a  season  to  the  wintry  blasts  of  New 
England,  with  the  snow  and  chilly  east  winds  inherent  to 
the  capital  of  Massachusetts  ;  the  steamer,  heading  for  the 
open  sea,  soon  drops  the  sandy  shores  of  Cape  Cod  and 
the  sparkling  gleam  of  Highland  Light  far  astern.  We 
turn  with  a  grateful  sense  of  comfort  to  the  warmth  of  the 
cosey  reception  saloon  of  the  steamer,  leaving  the  deck  to 
the  hardy  sailormen  who  are  inured  to  changes  in  the 
weather. 

In  two  days  Ave  are  in  another  clime  ;  all  feeling  of 
frost  has  disappeared,  and  the  officers  of  the  ship  put  on 
their  white  duck  suits  and  a  tropical  smile,  and  talk  enter¬ 
tainingly  of  mermaids  and  such  things  to  the  lady  pas¬ 


sengers. 


I 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


You  see  (speaking  confidentially,  as  if  we  were  in  the 
smoking  room  of  the  steamer  with  a  chosen  listener),  you 
have  done  well  to  cast  in  your  lot  with  us  ;  here  you  have 
all  that  heart  could  wish,  for  a  touch  on  the  electric  button 
brings  a  steward  from  “  the  little  room  around  the  corner,” 
who  will  see  that  the  “  Apollinaris  ”  is  correctly  chilled, 
and  other  concomitants  added.  If  my  language  is  getting 
somewhat  unusual  and  slightly  mixed  (along  with  the 
liquids),  you  may  lay  it  all  to  old  Noah  Webster,  who 
says,  “  A  concomitant  is  a  person  or  thing  that  accompanies 
another,  or  is  collaterally  connected.”  Eleven  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  of  ocean  has  been  swiftly  left  behind  at  a 
fourteen-mile  gait;  the  steamer  passing  Watling’s  Island 
Light  during  the  night,  twenty-four  hours  more  must  be  given 
before  we  pass  Bird  Rocks  and  Castle  Island,  and  greet, 
an  hour  after  sunset,  the  fixed  white  light  of  Cape  Maysi 
(Cuba),  seventy-three  miles  from  Port  Antonio,  Jamaica. 

The  next  morning  at  9  a.m.  the  blue  mountains  of 
Jamaica  gradually  appear,  at  first  as  a  cloud,  then  ravines 
and  cliffs  paint  delicately  the  distant  sky,  and  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  the  islands  of  the  “  Golden  Caribbean  ” 
bursts  grandly  out,  wreathed  in  mist. 

The  valleys  remain  awhile  clouded,  but  the  projecting 
masses  of  cliff  and  slope  swiftly  change  their  delicate 
green  to  a  brighter  hue  as  the  steamer  approaches  Port 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


3 


Antonio.  The  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  Port  Antonio  is 
certainly  as  tropical  in  appearance  as  one  could  desire  or 
dream  of.  The  breeze  from  the  shore  wafts  sweet  scents 
of  flowers  to  the  ship,  and  the  atmosphere  is  charged  with 
the  moisture  of  wet  earth ;  the  heat  increases  as  the 
steamer  passes  the  lighthouse  at  Folly  Point,  and  a  stento¬ 
rian  call  from  a  megaphone  at  the  Titchfield  House,  desir¬ 
ing  information  as  to  how  cold  it  was  in  Boston,  assures  the 
voyager  that  frost  is  indeed  a  stranger  here.  The  traveller 
who  desires  to  proceed  to  Central  and  South  America 
lands  in  Port  Antonio  and  goes  overland  by  train  to 
Kingston,  where  he  trans-ships  for  Cartagena  and  Port 
Limon. 

It  would  be  well,  however,  to  stop  some  time  in  Port 
Antonio  (staying  at  the  Titchfield  House,  which  is  owned 
and  managed  by  the  United  Fruit  Company),  as  the  scen¬ 
ery  about  Port  Antonio,  especially  on  the  “  Golden  Vale  ” 
road,  is  famous  for  its  loveliness. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  mention  at  this  time  the  mani¬ 
fold  beauties  and  remarkable  sights  witnessed  in  Jamaica, 
as  it  would  require  a  separate  volume  to  detail  them.  Full 
technical  information  for  tourists  and  business  men  is  given 
in  a  booklet  published  by  the  United  Fruit  Company,  and 
there  are  numerous  books  written  by  English  and  American 
authors  which  cover  the  whole  ground. 


4 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


Upon  leaving  Kingston,  Jamaica,  the  steamer  heads  south, 
crossing  the  Caribbean  Sea,  the  cool  northeast  trade  winds 
pouring  across  the  decks  in  an  ever  increasing  deluge, 
the  intense  blue  of  this  protected  sea  sparkling  and  seething 
under  a  tropical  sun.  The  farther  one  goes  south  upon 
the  Caribbean  the  more  tender  becomes  the  lovely  sunset 
sky ;  effects  of  color  are  noticed  which  one  never  sees  else¬ 
where  ;  the  vessel  heels  to  the  breeze  and  cleaves  with  a 
regular  motion  the  broad  expanse  of  sea.  The  thermometer 
marks  an  easy  80°,  and  we  lounge  about  in  a  dreamy 
ecstasy,  getting  acclimated  with  rapidity.  After  two  days, 
a  part  of  the  Andean  mountain  system  raise  their  majestic 
heads  above  the  horizon,  and  the  long  pier  at  Sabanilla 
comes  into  sight,  as  the  picturesque  shore  of  South  America 
lies  before  us.  The  Andean  plateau,  the  main  axis  of  the 
continent,  extends  along  the  entire  western  coast ;  it  sup¬ 
ports  parallel  ranges,  which  constitute  the  Andean  system. 
The  high  peaks  of  one  of  these  parallel  ranges  can  be  seen 
at  sunrise  from  Sabanilla,  the  tops  covered  with  snow ;  but 
one  has  to  look  for  them  before  sunrise,  as  the  mountains 
disappear  under  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun. 

Travellers  land  at  the  Great  Pier  (four  thousand  feet 
long),  at  the  station  Puerto  Colombia,  in  Sabanilla  Bay. 
The  steamer  stops  here  usually  thirty-six  hours  or  more, 
giving  the  tourist  or  business  man  time  to  take  the  Barran- 


Shaddock,  Tangerine  Orange. 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


5 


quilla  Railway  and  visit  the  interesting  town  of  Barranquilla, 
eighteen  miles  from  the  sea.  The  time  taken  in  reaching 
the  town  by  the  railroad  is  one  hour  and  fifteen  minutes  ; 
fare,  $4.05  (first  class)  Colombian  currency ;  the  money 
exchange  usually  standing  at  about  $5.00  paper  for  $1.00 
gold.  Return  tickets  (good  for  two  days),  $4.80  paper. 
Only  handbags  will  be  allowed  to  pass  with  first-class 
passengers  at  time  of  disembarking. 

Barranquilla  covers  a  large  area  of  territory,  and  has  a 
population  of  forty  thousand.  It  is  a  very  healthful  town, 
the  thermometer  ranging  from  85°  to  950  normally;  the 
lowest  mark  noticed  was  about  720.  The  water  supply  is 
from  the  Magdalena  River,  and  when  filtered  is  excellent, 
and  newcomers  can  drink  it  with  safety.  There  are 
several  good  hotels  in  Barranquilla ;  prices  range  from 
$4.00,  paper,  to  $6.00  per  day. 

Barranquilla  has  three  Catholic  churches  and  a  Prot¬ 
estant  chapel  under  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions. 
The  steamship  lines  whose  steamers  touch  at  Sabanilla  are 
the  United  Fruit  Company,  Royal  Mail,  French  Line, 
Hamburg  Line,  Atlas  Line,  and  others.  Sabanilla  is  left 
behind  during  the  night ;  we  proceed  to  Cartagena  through 
pitchy  darkness  and  a  gloom  of  thunder-storm  ;  the  steamer 
plunges  forward  into  a  sable  curtain,  as  lightning  flashes 
vividly  and  torrents  of  tropical  rain  are  driven  across  the 


6 


THE  HOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


deck  by  the  northeast  trades.  The  Boca  Chica  at  sunrise  ! 
The  narrow  and  deep  entrance  of  the  harbor  of  Cartagena 
is  very  interesting  and  absorbing  in  its  characteristic  charm 
and  novelty,  for  the  steamer  makes  a  complete  circle  on 
its  course  from  Sabanilla  before  it  reaches  the  wharf.  To 
the  left,  one  sees  a  low-lying,  green,  white-edged  shore, 
sparsely  settled ;  and  in  a  retired  cove,  cut  off  from  all  con¬ 
tact  with  humanity,  a  leper  settlement  of  about  twenty 
houses  lies  forgotten  beneath  the  palms,  and  lines  the  white 
winding  thread  of  beach  with  its  wretched  hovels.  Ahead 
rises  the  hill  of  La  Papa  with  its  white-walled  convent  on 
the  extreme  end,  forming  a  landmark  seen  for  miles  at  sea, 
and  covered  with  a  luxuriant  tropical  vegetation. 

The  city  of  Cartagena,  reflected  in  the  clear  waters  of 
the  harbor,  is  seen  (from  the  deck  of  the  steamer  as  it 
reaches  the  wharf)  spread  out  along  the  shore,  a  city  full 
of  color,  with  its  red  tiled  roofs  and  multi-tinted  balconies 
glowing  in  the  beams  of  the  rising  sun. 


PORT  ANTONIO. 


CHAPTER  II 


Republic  of  (^oiopibia,  5.  p. 

CARTAGENA  is  more  Spanish  than  Spain  itself. 

The  quaint  and  rich  architecture  of  the  earliest 
period  is  here  held  in  suspension,  as  a  fly  in  amber. 
Whole  streets  blaze  in  tropical  colors  of  blue,  pink,  and 
yellow;  rare  and  curious  balconies  clog  the  sky  line  as  one 
passes  from  square  to  square,  the  carving  rather  of  a  rough 
and  cumbrous  order,  rarely,  if  ever,  delicate. 

Certain  streets,  however,  remind  one  of  Malaga,  others 
of  Algiers  or  Tunis.  The  old  city  sleeps  under  a  moist 
and  torrid  climate,  slowly  decaying,  the  energy  of  its  citi¬ 
zens  being  expended  in  seeking  the  nearest  refreshment 
saloon,  and  excitedly  discussing  the  latest  news  of  the 
money  exchange.  The  experienced  traveller,  in  sympathy 
with  tropical  conditions,  lands  in  Cartagena  eager  for  the 
renewal  of  old  associations  and  sensations  acquired  in 
other  countries  about  the  equator,  and  they  rush  upon  him 
with  a  vengeance.  Every  sensation  is  accentuated  and 
enlarged  abnormally  ;  the  street  cries  are  tropically  Span¬ 
ish,  negro,  and  Indian  ;  razorback  pigs  squeal  on  every 


7 


8 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


corner ;  though  the  streets  are  badly  paved,  yet  there  are 
no  bad  smells,  the  copious  rains  that  wash  the  streets  at 
regular  intervals  are  antiseptic,  and  the  city  is  healthful 
for  a  foreigner  of  any  nation.  The  citizens  are  civil  and 
courteous,  English  being  spoken  on  every  hand,  and  the 
American  and  Englishman  is  welcomed  with  open  arms, 
especially  if  the  rate  of  exchange  is  advancing ! 

Ercm  the  wharf  of  the  Cartagena  Terminal  and  Improve¬ 
ment  Company  Ed.  (where  the  steamer  lands  the  traveller) 
it  is  only  a  short  ride  of  five  minutes  by  rail  to  the  city, 
the  Cartagena-Magdalena  Railway  continuing  for  sixty- 
five  miles  to  Calamar  on  the  Magdalena  River,  both 
railway  and  terminal  wharf  being  under  the  same  Boston 
ownership  and  efficient  management.  An  easy  entrance 
to  the  country,  through  the  custom-house,  assisted  by  cour¬ 
teous  employees,  a  mad  ride  through  the  multi-colored 
streets  to  the  American  Hotel,  and  then  quiet  and  rest 
in  the  cool  and  spacious  rooms  and  corridors,  which  the 
Spaniard,  inured  to  tropical  conditions,  knows  how  to  rear 
so  well.  The  weather  conditions  to  an  unacclimatized 
Northerner  are  rather  trying  at  first,  though  the  humid 
heat  is  steady  and  regular  —  something  that  one  can  count 
on  from  day  to  day  ;  then  the  evenings  are  delicious,  and 
the  early  morning  a  revelation  for  freshness. 

The  northeast  trade  winds  blow  regularly  every  day 


Market  Cart — Cartagena. 


\.  v/r&w.v.sj 

\  %)  $  o 


REPUBLIC  OF  COLOMBIA 


9 


from  ten  o’clock  until  midnight,  tempering  the  heat  and 
making  Cartagena  a  paradise  for  invalids.  One  of  the 
most  interesting  and  enjoyable  jaunts  out  of  Cartagena  is 
the  railroad  journey  of  about  four  hours  on  the  Cartagena- 
Magdalena  Railway.  The  cars  are  comfortable,  and  the 
conductors,  who  speak  English,  arrange  everything  for 
the  comfort  of  the  passengers.  The  train  glides  smoothly 
along  through  the  suburbs  of  Cartagena,  mounting  rapidly 
toward  the  higher  hills  surrounding  the  city ;  from  these 
terraces,  several  hundred  feet  above  the  sea  level,  occa¬ 
sional  glimpses  are  seen  of  Cartagena,  glistening  in  the 
sun,  the  yellow  walls  of  the  fortifications  lying  mellow 
against  the  deep  blue  sea.  The  vegetation  along  the  track, 
wet  with  dew,  sparkles  in  the  early  morning  sunlight.  At 
Santa  Isabel  (the  first  station  on  the  road)  broad  savannas, 
affording  fine  grazing  fields  for  sleek  cattle,  spread  out  and 
melt  into  blue  haze  in  the  distance. 

The  railroad  company  own  a  large  plantation  here,  and 
maintain  fine  water  rights,  which  serve  to  supply  Cartagena 
with  water ;  huge  iron  tanks,  mounted  on  railway  trucks, 
transport  the  water  on  the  railway  daily  to  the  city.  Cala- 
mar  (the  terminal  of  the  railway  on  the  Magdalena  River) 
is  a  small  town  with  very  wide  streets,  the  houses  of  one 
story  and  built  of  adobe.  Travellers  will  find  a  small 
hotel  in  Calamar,  managed  by  a  Frenchman,  where  break- 


IO 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


fast  may  be  obtained.  There  is  time  enough  after  break¬ 
fast  to  walk  about  the  town  and  inspect  the  Magdalena 
River,  also  the  handsome  steamers  of  the  Compania  Flu¬ 
vial  de  Cartagena,  before  taking  the  return  train  to  Car¬ 
tagena.  The  hotel  gives  a  fair  Spanish  breakfast,  and  as  an 
extra  a  good  bottle  of  French  claret.  The  brown  flood  of 
the  noble  Magdalena  River  rushes  by  Calamar  to  the  sea, 
spreading  out  to  over  half  a  mile  in  width  opposite  the 
wharf.  The  banks  are  low,  resembling  the  shores  of  the 
Mississippi  River  below  New  Orleans.  On  the  return  trip 
to  the  “  Most  noble  and  most  loyal  city,”  one  notices  at 
Turbaco  how  cool  and  fresh  the  air  becomes.  Turbaco  is 
cpiite  a  health  resort  for  the  inhabitants  of  Cartagena ; 
many  business  men  own  summer  houses  and  arrange  to 
have  their  families  live  there  during  a  portion  of  the  year. 

A  carriage  ride  to  La  Popa,  or  a  walk  along  the  enor¬ 
mous  walls  (which  surround  Cartagena)  in  the  cool  of 
the  evening,  will  give  one  a  good  idea  of  the  city.  Sea 
bathing  is  very  enjoyable  on  the  northern  shore  below  the 
city  wall,  where  a  bathhouse,  or  shed,  has  been  erected 
for  the  protection  of  bathers.  It  is  perfectly  safe  to  bathe 
here,  and  one  should  make  it  a  point  to  visit  the  beach 
once  a  day  to  keep  down  the  temperature  of  the  body. 

There  is  something  about  Cartagena  which  causes  one 
to  depart  reluctantly;  for  after  you  have  been  at  the  hotel 


REPUBLIC  OF  COLOMBIA 


1 1 

for  a  few  days  an  acquaintance  is  made  with  the  other 
guests,  who  keep  you  informed  as  to  the  news  and  local 
gossip  of  the  town.  In  two  rows  of  rocking-chairs,  facing- 
each  other  in  the  wide  entrance  door  leading  to  the  patio, 
the  guests  of  the  hotel  and  their  visiting  friends  sit  by 
the  hour  in  the  evening,  smoking  and  chatting,  and  one 
studies  them  with  interest.  There  is  the  slim  and  dapper 
book-keeper  of  a  local  German  commission  house,  who 


A  TROPICA T.  HOME. 

speaks  English,  Spanish,  German,  Russian,  and  Dutch  ;  a 
travelling  man  who  engages  in  the  risky  business  of  sell¬ 
ing  dynamite  throughout  Colombia,  and  who  rejoices  in 
the  unique  name  of  Apple ;  a  department  manager  of  a 
certain  railroad  occasionally  puts  in  his  appearance  and 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


I  2 

attempts  to  sell  broken-down  boilers  at  high  prices  to 
exasperated  chums ;  the  dynamite  salesman  declaims  with 
fervor  about  backwoods  travel  to  an  admiring  audience ; 
little  black  boys  of  the  town  dodge  about  the  door  of  the 
hotel  and  beg  for  coin,  and,  when  ignored,  claim  an  easy- 
looking  bachelor  as  “Papa,”  amid  quizzing  remarks  from 
friends  of  the  victim. 

They  are  interesting  men  to  meet, — these  fun-loving 
and  genial  members  of  the  local  foreign  colony,  —  and  in 
after  years  we  will  recall  with  enjoyment  the  many  pleasant 
moments  passed  in  their  society. 


Cartagena  Bird  Seller. 


CHAPTER  III 


jHistorieal  |Vot<?5 


HE  discoverer  of  the  coast  of  Cartagena  was 


Rodrigo  de  Bastidas,  a  native  of  Seville,  Spain, 


s)  who  started  from  Cadiz  in  the  year  1 500,  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  famous  navigator  Juan  de  la  Casa,  who 
directed  his  course  toward  the  coasts  of  Venezuela,  touching 
at  Rio  de  Hacha  and  Santa  Marta,  exchanging  the  gold 
and  pearls  which  he  found,  but  acting  with  great  prudence 
and  moderation  —  rare  qualities  amongst  the  adventurers  of 
those  times.  In  1501  he  pursued  his  course,  passing  by 
the  mouth  of  the  river  which  he  named  Magdalena;  and 
then,  continuing  on,  passed  by  Galera,  Zamba,  Cartagena, 
the  islands  of  Baru,  San  Bernando,  and  Isla  Furte.  He 
entered  the  bay  of  Cispata  and  the  river  Sinu,  the  gulf 
of  Darien,  and  ended  at  the  Isthmus,  where  Columbus  had 
been  just  before  him  on  this  voyage.  Several  years  passed 
before  any  thoughts  were  entertained  of  making  settle¬ 
ments  in  this  vicinity,  and  it  was  not  until  1508  that  Alonzo 
de  Ojeda  (who  had  already  visited  these  coasts  with  other 
famous  navigators)  came,  accompanied  by  the  pilot  Juan 


13 


14 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


de  la  Casa  and  Diego  Nicuesa,  a  rich  merchant  of  the 
island  of  Sto.  Domingo,  to  establish  a  colony.  Ojeda  con¬ 
tracted  to  construct  four  forts  in  the  country  under  his 
jurisdiction,  and  to  pay  to  the  king  of  Spain  one-fifth  of 
the  profits  derived  from  those  regions,  with  liberty  to 
return  to  Spain  and  enjoy  the  fortune  that  he  might 
acquire. 

The  conquest  and  government  of  this  territory  were  con¬ 
ferred  by  the  king  to  Ojeda,  who  arrived  at  Calamar  (now 
Cartagena)  in  1509.  He  anchored  off  the  island  of  Tierra 
Bomba,  then  called  Codego.  He  suggested  to  the  Indians 
that  they  submit  to  the  king  of  Spain,  and  as  these  alleged 
for  their  refusal  the  violence  and  cruelty  of  previous  adven¬ 
turers,  he  determined  to  reduce  them  bv  force.  He  dis¬ 
embarked  with  his  men  and  attacked  the  Indians,  capturing 
sixty  of  them  and  burning  eight  who  defended  themselves 
in  their  dwellings ;  he  followed  them  up  to  the  village  of 
Turbaco,  where  the  natives  made  a  vigorous  resistance, 
and  finally  routed  him  completely  and  killed  his  great 
friend  and  protector,  Juan  de  la  Casa.  He  was  obliged  to 
return  to  Calamar  without  a  single  soldier.  Finding  there 
his  old  enemy  Diego  de  Nicuesa,  who  was  on  his  way  to 
Veraguas,  he  asked  and  obtained  from  him  sufficient  forces 
to  attack  the  natives  of  Turbaco,  who,  on  this  occasion, 
were  vanquished  and  cruelly  chastised  for  their  valorous 


HISTORICAL  NOTES 


1 5 

conduct,  the  Spaniards  sparing  neither  age  nor  sex.  After 
searching  among  the  smoking  ruins  for  gold,  of  which 
they  found  a  small  quantity,  they  returned  to  their  vessels 
and  continued  their  voyage  to  the  coast  of  Darien,  where, 
after  suffering  many  encounters  with  the  tribes,  Ojeda 
served  under  Hernan  Cortes  and  went  to  the  island  of 
Sto.  Domingo. 

The  successor  of  Ojeda,  in  the  conquest  of  this  region, 
was  Don  Pedro  de  Heredia,  a  native  of  Madrid.  He  was 
appointed  by  Charles  I.  of  Spain  and  V.  of  Austria,  in 
January,  1533.  He  changed  the  Indian  name  of  Calamar 
(which  means  crab)  for  that  of  Cartagena,  which  it  still 
has,  and  which  he  gave  on  account  of  the  resemblance 
which  he  found  between  the  handsome  bay  before  him  and 
that  of  Cartagena  in  Spain. 

The  founding  of  the  city  took  place  on  the  first  of 
January,  1533.  Cartagena  is  the  third  important  city 
founded  in  America  by  the  Spaniards.  Heredia  met  with 
resistance  from  most  of  the  tribes,  especially  those  of  Cana- 
pote,  Tezca,  and  Turbaco,  the  latter  burning  their  dwell¬ 
ings  before  submitting  to  the  conqueror,  even  the  women 
and  children  and  their  old  men  fighting  with  as  much 
valor  as  the  young  braves,  in  just  defence  of  their  rights. 

The  abundant  fishery  and  its  handsome  and  commodious 
harbor  brought  to  the  vicinity  of  Calamar  several  tribes, 


16  THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 

who  lived  in  complete  harmony  with  each  other.  Carex 
was  the  name  of  the  chief  that  governed  the  adjacent 
island  of  Codego  (now  Tierra  Bomba),  and  its  principal 
village  was  situated  at  the  entrance  of  Boca  Chica.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  bay  were  Cospique,  Matarapa,  and 
Cocon,  and  farther  inland  was  Bohaire.  With  few  excep¬ 
tions  almost  every  village  bore  the  name  of  its  cacique, 
or  chief,  and  often  several  small  villages  were  subject  to 
a  single  cacique  to  whom  they  must  render  tribute. 

Amongst  the  most  important  caciques  at  the  time  of 
the  conquest  were  Camlayo,  a  great  cacique  of  Mahates ; 
Carex,  chief  of  Codego,  Coco,  and  Caspique ;  Malambo, 
cacique  of  Malambo ;  Piohon,  chief  of  Piojo,  Canapote,  and 
Tezca;  Morotoara,  of  Tubara;  Guaspates,  of  Zamba,  and 
others. 

Heredia  was  informed  concerning  the  condition  of  these 
neighboring  tribes  by  an  old  Indian  named  Corinche,  whom 
he  had  long  used  as  a  guide,  and  a  faithful  Indian  girl 
named  Catalina,  who  was  his  interpreter.  He  then  deter¬ 
mined  to  send  Corinche  in  a  canoe  to  the  Cacique  Carex 
of  Codego,  to  request  him  to  submit  to  the  king  of  Spain, 
offering  him  good  treatment  and  friendship,  and  at  the 
same  time  asking  for  provisions,  of  which  he  was  in  great 
need. 

Corinche  faithfully  fulfilled  his  mission  and  made  every 


HISTORICAL  NOTES 


I7 


effort  to  persuade  Carex  cf  the  good  intentions  of  the 
Spaniards ;  but  the  haughty  cacique  answered  that  it  was 
all  a  lie,  that  the  strangers  only  came  to  rob  them  of  their 
lands  and  their  liberty,  and  that  he  was  decided  to  fight 
until  his  last  breath  in  defence  of  his  possessions. 

Upon  receiving  this  answer,  Heredia  embarked  at  once 
with  all  his  troops,  and  crossing  the  bay  attacked  Carex, 
who  made  all  possible  resistance,  losing  many  of  his  tribe 


A  STEAMER  OF  THE  UNITED  FRUIT  COMPANY. 

and  several  important  chiefs,  whilst  he  fell  a  prisoner,  and 
the  Spaniards  seized  about  $100,000  gold,  in  possession  of 
the  tribe. 

An  expedition  was  sent  to  the  coast,  guided  by  the 
Cacique  Caron,  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Cacique 
Dulio,  the  most  powerful  of  the  neighboring  chiefs,  and 
the  Spaniards  were  so  successful  that  they  returned  with 


iS 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


$60,000  gold,  and  accompanied  by  other  chiefs  who  came 
to  make  their  offers  of  peace. 

Several  other  excursions  were  made  to  the  nearest  tribes, 
from  whom  the  Spaniards  derived  not  less  than  a  million 
and  a  half  ducats  of  gold,  amongst  which  was  a  gold  por¬ 
cupine,  which  weighed  seventy-five  pounds  and  was  wor¬ 
shipped  by  the  Indians  of  Canapote. 


The  Escape  of  the  Buccaneers. 


CHAPTER  IV 


C^arta^eQa 


MERIC ANS  are  probably  familiar  with  the  stories 


of  the  old  voyagers  of  the  conquest  who  followed 


J  ^1.  so  closely  in  the  wake  of  Columbus,  and  know 
that  it  was  Columbus  himself  who  in  September,  1502, 
discovered  Cabo  Gracias  a  Dios  on  the  Colombian  coast, 
and  in  October  of  the  same  year  what  is  now  Bocas  del 
Toro.  Later,  he  touched  at  other  points  on  the  coast. 
The  small  specimens  of  fine  gold  taken  home  by  Colum¬ 
bus  from  this  voyage  were  the  beginning  of  that  steady 
golden  current  which  for  many  years  filled  the  Spanish 
coffers,  the  getting  of  which  gold,  and  the  attendant  cruel¬ 
ties  and  atrocities  inflicted  on  the  mild-mannered  Indians, 
has  been  so  graphically  described  by  Kingsley  in  “West¬ 
ward  Ho.”  In  those  days  of  conquests,  when  freebooters 
and  buccaneers  were  more  plentiful  than  peaceful  vessels 
on  the  Caribbean  Sea,  a  safe  storehouse  for  treasure  and 
a  rendezvous  for  the  ships  of  Spain  were  a  necessity,  and 
the  town  of  Cartagena  was  selected  for  this  purpose 
and  founded  on  the  beautiful  and  land-locked  bay  of  that 


19 


20 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


name  about  1533.  By  the  subsequent  closing  with  a  line 
of  heavy  boulders  of  the  large  entrance,  Boca  Grande,  this 
last  body  of  water,  practically  everywhere  a  safe  anchorage 
for  the  boats  of  that  day,  could  be  approached  by  the  nar¬ 
row  channel  of  Boca  Chica  only,  itself  soon  protected  by 
two  massive  stone  forts.  With  the  natural  conditions  so 
favorable,  and  with  no  lack  of  gold  nor  of  Indian  slave  labor, 
it  is  small  wonder  that  the  Spaniards  built  of  Cartagena 
a  city  almost  —  but,  as  Sir  Francis  Drake  proved  later,  not 
quite  —  impregnable. 

The  marvel  and  the  wonder  is,  however, — and  it  throws 
great  credit  on  those  early  Spanish  conquistadorcs,  —  that 
consumed  as  they  were  with  thirst  for  gold  and  plunder, 
they  should  have  built  walls  and  forts  which  stand  to-day, 
for  the  most  part,  as  firm  and  good  as  when  they  were 
finally  completed  300  years  ago. 

To  better  appreciate  the  magnitude  and  costliness  of  the 
work  undertaken  and  carried  out  for  the  defence  of  Carta¬ 
gena,  you  should  study  a  plan  of  the  city,  showing  the 
double  walls,  the  various  bastions,  and  the  system  of 
moats  or  canals  protecting  the  city  by  surprise  from  land 
attacks. 

The  walls  were  begun  toward  the  close  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  were  finished  just  before  the  close  of  the 
seventeenth,  and  cost  $59,000,000  gold. 


Boca  Chica  —  Cartagena, 


CARTAGENA 


21 


Before  these  defences  were  completed,  however,  and 
before  the  construction  of  the  forts  commanding  Carta¬ 
gena  ,both  on  the  land  and  sea  side,  the  building  of  the 
city  itself  had  made  noteworthy  progress.  The  Cathedral, 
the  construction  of  which  was  begun  in  1538,  was  finished 
about  50  years  later,  and  to-day  carries  its  three  and  a 
half  centuries  as  lightly  as  many  more  recent  but  frailer 
structures  carry  a  tenth  of  the  period.  The  hard,  unfor¬ 
giving  lines  of  this  old  Catholic  stronghold  have  a  certain 
consistent  relation  to  our  impressions  of  the  influences 
which  were  potent  in  the  days  when  this  symbol  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  was  first  built  by  toiling  slaves.  The  square  tower, 
however,  has  a  certain  dignity  when  seen  over  the  bright 
foreground  of  the  Parque  Bolivar ,  which  compensates 
somewhat  for  the  grim  impression  given  by  the  contem¬ 
plation  of  one  of  the  old  windows  of  the  Cathedral  now 
filled  by  a  grill  constructed  from  one  of  the  old  torture 
beds  of  the  Inquisition  at  Cartagena. 

To  those  of  us  who  are  heretics  and  now  visit  Cartagena 
there  are  compensations  in  the  lessened  greatness  of  the 
place,  in  the  fact  that  the  danger  of  reposing  on  the 
sharpened  arrows  of  this  grill,  while  glowing  coals  under¬ 
neath  are  fanned  to  greater  heat,  is  no  longer  one  of  the 
local  possibilities.  The  Inquisition  Building  itself,  on  one 
side  of  the  Parque  Bolivar ,  is  now  occupied  as  a  private 


2  2 


THK  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


residence  ;  but  its  exterior  looks  little  different  from  what 
it  did  in  the  old  days.  To-day  it  is  used  as  a  store  for 
merchandise,  and  through  this  very  door  might  have  been 
heard  the  cries  wrung  from  the  victims  of  the  Inquisi¬ 
tion  by  the  crudest  tortures.  Over  the  outer  entrance 
is  still  sharp  and  clear  the  graven  arms  of  the  Church  of 
Rome,  and  in  Colombia  to-day  that  church  is  still  a  part 
of  the  state  ;  but  the  inquisitors  have  given  place  to  edu¬ 
cated  priests  and  unselfish  hospital  sisters,  working  alike 
in  the  modernized  cities  and  the  Indian  villages. 

The  convent  of  Sto.  Domingo  was  built  in  1559,  and 
is  peculiarly  interesting  in  design,  and  is  still  in  a  perfect 
state  of  preservation.  The  convent  of  the  Franciscan 
Fathers,  built  in  1575,  though  in  less  perfect  state,  is 
picturesque  and  quaint  as  seen  across  the  broad  Plaza  de 
la  Independence. 

In  1585  Philip  II.  granted  to  Cartagena  its  shield  and 
arms,  and  a  year  later  the  title  of  “  Most  noble  and  most 
loyal  city.”  The  arms  and  title,  however,  were  not  suf¬ 
ficient  to  keep  that  brave  old  corsair  admiral,  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  from  capturing  the  place  in  1586.  The  entrance 
to  the  harbor  through  Boca  Grande  was  not  then  made 
impossible,  nor  were  the  walls  completed.  Drake  obtained 
full  possession  of  the  place,  and  demanded  a  ransom  of 
$400,000  in  gold,  but  afterward  accepted  all  that  could 


CARTAGENA 


2  3 


be  gathered  and  offered  him,  and  receipted  on  April  2, 

1586,  for  $107,000.  He  also  took  the  bells  from  the  con¬ 
vent  of  San  Francisco,  and  then  with  his  19  vessels,  more 
or  less,  sailed  away. 

Before  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  the  Boca 
Grande  was  closed,  and  the  forts  at  Boca  C/iica  built. 

The  story,  one  of  heroism  and  romance,  connected  with 
the  defence  of  the  fort  (San  Fernando)  at  Boca  Chica , 

during  the  attack  by  the  French  fleet  in  1677,  is  one  of 
most  absorbing  interest,  and  one  of  the  many  connected 
with  the  great  days  of  the  “  Heroic  City,”  as  it  was  later 
called.  At  this  time  were  also  built  the  monastery  of  La 
Papa  and  the  fort  of  San  Felipe. 

That  part  of  Cartagena’s  past  which  most  directly  con¬ 
cerns  the  New  Englander  is,  however,  the  taking  of  the 
place  in  1741  by  a  British  fleet  under  Admiral  Vernon. 
With  this  fleet,  which  consisted  of  26  line-of-battle  ships, 
29  frigates,  and  64  other  craft,  were  3600  American 

troops,  of  which  five  companies  were  from  Massachusetts. 
Cartagena  was  defended  by  2000  men,  one-half  of  whom 
were  Spanish  troops.  Although  the  place  was  taken,  the 
defence  was  so  formidable  that  the  British  losses  were 
very  serious,  and  the  victory  a  discouraging  one.  The 
fort  of  San  Felipe ,  or  San  Lazaro  as  part  of  it  is  called, 
was  never  taken,  although  one  of  the  bravest  and  bloodi- 


24 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


cst  battles  in  history  was  fought  there.  The  British  and 
Colonial  troops,  numbering  1200  men,  attacked  at  night, 
and  engaged  the  Spanish  until  well  into  the  next  clay, 
and  until  600  men  (half  of  their  number)  lay  dead  at  the 
foot  of  those  fatal  walls. 

Lawrence  Washington,  as  a  lieutenant,  commanded  a 
company  under  Lord  Vernon  in  1741  at  the  siege  of 
Cartagena. 

This  is  a  historical  fact  not  generally  known  :  that  Law¬ 
rence  Washington,  brother  of  George  Washington,  first 
President  of  the  United  States,  was  a  lieutenant  com¬ 
manding  a  company  of  men  under  Lord  Vernon,  who 
besieged  Cartagena  in  1741.  A  picture  of  the  siege  of 
Cartagena  hung  on  the  walls  at  Mt.  Vernon,  also  named 
after  the  above  General  Lord  Vernon.  There  were 
600  Hessians  never  accounted  for ;  many  were  killed 
at  the  assault  of  the  forts,  others  wandered  away  into 
the  interior  and  were  lost  sight  of,  having  joined  the 
natives  or  starved  to  death. 

To  briefly  summarize  the  later  history  of  Colombia,  it 
obtained  its  freedom  from  Spain  about  1819,  through  the 
leadership  of  the  great  Bolivar,  the  country  then  compris¬ 
ing,  under  the  name  of  the  “  Republic  of  Colombia,”  what 
is  now  Venezuela,  Colombia,  and  Ecuador.  Cartagena  was 
twice  besieged  during  the  wars  of  independence.  Within 


CARTAGENA 


25 


a  few  years,  however,  both  Venezuela  and  Ecuador  were 
separated  from  the  union  and  separately  organized, 
Colombia  taking  the  name  of  the  “  Republic  of  New 
Granada.”  In  1 86 1 ,  after  a  civil  war,  it  became  the 
“  United  States  of  Colombia,”  and  then,  after  another  civil 
war  in  1885,  again  became  the  “Republic  of  Colombia.” 
Up  to  this  last  date  insurrections  were  of  almost  yearly 
occurrence,  and  were  a  serious  drawback  to  agricultural 
and  trade  developments.  Since  1885,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  months  in  1894  and  1899  of  revolutionary  excite¬ 
ment,  and  insurrections  of  a  guerilla  nature,  the  country 
has  enjoyed  complete  peace. 

From  the  period  of  its  supremacy  to  its  desolation,  the 
fall  of  Cartagena  kept  pace  with  the  falling  of  the  other 
Spanish  possessions,  whose  existence  depended  on  plunder 
and  theft ;  but  the  peaceful  agricultural  development  of  the 
country  has  been  building  up  for  the  “  Most  noble  and 
most  loyal  city”  an  important  position,  justified  by  its 
commanding  situation  and  its  magnificent  harbor.  The 
rich  products  of  the  interior,  —  coffee,  tobacco,  chocolate, 
rubber,  hides,  etc., — shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  world, 
make  its  wharves  busy  and  its  warehouses  and  shops 
resonant  with  the  hum  of  trade  instead  of  the  rattle  of 
musketry  and  the  grinding  of  steel. 

Where  once  a  path,  worn  by  the  painful  tramp  of  the 


26 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


treasure-laden,  whip-driven  Indians,  connected  Cartagena 
with  the  Magdalena  River,  a  substantial  American  railway 
now  carries  goods  and  passengers  in  a  few  hours  over  the 
difficult  three  days’  foot  journey. 


CHAPTER  V 


Colombia  ai}d  Qolonbia^s 

N  1893  there  was  completed  and  opened  to  public 

1  \  service,  under  a  50-year  contract  with  the  government, 
7( 

a  magnificent  new  wharf  at  the  head  of  the  bay, 
and  large  and  commodious  warehouses  not  excelled,  and 
perhaps  not  equalled,  for  solidity  and  convenience  of  con¬ 
struction  by  any  in  the  West  Indies  or  on  the  Spanish 
Main. 

The  bay  of  Cartagena  is  perfectly  protected.  Here 
ships  may  lie  in  absolute  security  with  fires  out  and  steam 
down,  which  cannot  be  said  of  any  other  port  on  the 
Atlantic  coast  of  Colombia. 

The  Cartagena-M agdalena  Railway,  after  leaving  Carta¬ 
gena,  passes  through  the  towns  of  Turbaco,  Arjona,  La 
Viuda,  San  Estanislao,  Soplaviento,  Hatoviejo,  and  Calamar 
(65  miles)  to  the  river  terminus. 

The  town  of  Calamar  is  on  the  bank  of  the  Magdalena 
River,  70  miles  above  its  mouth,  and  is  the  starting-point 
for  an  interesting  river  voyage  of  from  500  to  600  miles 
into  the  interior  on  the  rapid  and  comfortable  boats  of 


27 


28 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


the  Compania  Fluvial  de  Cartagena,  a  new  steamboat 
company  operating  on  the  Magdalena  River  and  its  tribu¬ 
taries  in  connection  with  the  Cartagena-Magdalena  Rail¬ 
way  Company. 

Steamers  of  from  50  to  200  tons  burden  have  plied 
regularly  since  1833  between  Honda  and  Calamar.  The 
Honda  rapids  can  be  surmounted  by  haulage,  and  steamers 
descend  them  in  safety,  though  there  is  a  fall  of  20  feet 
in  two  miles.  Above  this  point  the  channel  is  clear 
about  halfway  to  the  source.  The  country  is  among  the 
most  mountainous  in  the  world.  All  communications  are 
most  difficult  and  expensive.  All  freight  must  be  trans¬ 
ported  by  mule  as  soon  as  it  leaves  the  rivers.  Goods 
arrive  at  the  head  of  navigation  at  Las  Yegues,  unloaded 
to  storehouse  ;  then  railroad  to  Arranca-Plumas,  unloaded 
and  carried  to  river  bank  by  men ;  ferry  barge  here 
across  the  Magdalena  River,  unloaded  and  carried  up  the 
steep  river  bank  and  again  placed  in  the  storehouse ; 
then  by  mule  trains  to  Bogota  about  80  miles;  time  for 
freight  about  five  to  ten  days. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  country  at  the  higher  elevation  is 
certainly  of  a  healthy  character,  while  the  mean  annual  tem¬ 
perature  at  Bogota  (8300  feet  above  the  sea)  is  between 
62°-63°  F.  Bogota  has  a  National  Library  with  40,000 
volumes,  and  a  Museum  of  Curiosities  and  Antiquities. 


COLOMBIA  AND  THE  COLOMBIANS 


29 


The  journey  to  Bogota  is  partly  by  the  steamers  of  the 
Compania  Fluvial  de  Cartagena  on  the  Magdalena  River, 
partly  by  railroad,  and  the  balance  by  mule  back,  about 
nine  days  in  all  being  necessary  to  reach  the  capital. 
From  Llonda,  600  miles  above  Calamar,  there  are  three 
ridges  or  mountain  passes  to  cross  on  mule  back,  two 
about  3000  feet  each  and  one  of  6000  feet  or  more. 

Bogota,  the  capital  of  the  republic  of  Colombia,  was 
founded  by  Gonzalo  Jimenez  de  Ouesada,  August  6,  1536, 
and  was  constituted  a  city  by  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  of 
Spain. 

The  city  contains  about  120,000  inhabitants,  also  as  an 
Archiepiscopal  See  it  contains  30  edifices  dedicated  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  faith. 

In  1893,  the  population  of  Colombia  was  variously  esti¬ 
mated  at  from  3,000,000  to  4,000,000.  Near  Bogota  are 
the  noted  falls  of  Tequendama,  with  a  height  of  600  feet. 
The  capital  also  boasts  of  an  Astronomical  Observatory, 
a  National  Theatre,  and  the  San  Juan  de  Dios  Hos¬ 
pital. 

The  city  of  Bogota,  the  capital  of  the  republic,  is  said 
to  contain  120,000  inhabitants;  while  that  of  Medellin,  the 
second  largest  in  Colombia  and  the  capital  of  Antioquia, 
is  credited  with  50,000.  Cartagena,  Panama,  and  Bucara- 
mangar,  the  three  cities  next  in  importance,  20,000  inhabit- 


THE  ('.OLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


.5° 

ants  (these  figures  are  only  approximate).  Among  the 
educated  Colombians  the  traits  of  their  Spanish  ancestors 
are  strongly  reproduced,  this  feature  being  doubtless  the 
more  marked  in  consequence  of  the  isolation  of  the  prin¬ 
cipal  towns  of  the  interior,  and  on  account  of  the  difficulty 
of  transport  and  travel. 

From  these  causes  contact  with  foreigners  is  extremely 
limited,  and  Spanish  customs  and  habits  retained  to  a 
greater  degree  than  generally  found  to  be  the  case  in 
South  America.  Probably  these  circumstances  also  explain 
to  some  extent  the  fact  that  the  Spanish  spoken  by  Colom¬ 
bians  has  preserved  a  greater  purity  than  is  usually  met 
with  among  the  Spanish  descendants  in  the  New  World. 
As  a  rule,  the  people  are  courteous  and  hospitable  to  their 
own  people  and  strangers  alike  —  a  condition  no  doubt  ren¬ 
dered  necessary  by  the  long  journeys  on  mule  back  always 
required  to  be  made  by  travellers  through  the  departments 
of  the  interior.  Of  Indian  blood  there  is,  of  course,  a 
large  admixture  among  the  inhabitants,  although  the  older 
families  of  Bogota  show  less  of  this  strain  than  might  be 
expected.  On  the  plains,  the  bulk  of  the  population  is 
copper-colored.  Roads  for  wagons  are  almost  unknown. 
Some  7000  miles  of  telegraph  lines  have  been  erected 
in  different  parts  of  the  republic,  and  Bogota  is  connected 
by  telegraph  with  nearly  all  the  important  cities  of  the 


Church  of  San  Juan  de  Dios  —  Cartagena 


COLOMBIA  AND  THE  COLOMBIANS 


3t 


various  departments.  In  principal  towns  telephone  systems 
have  been  established. 

Colombia  is  in  touch  with  the  rest  of  the  world  through 
the  cable  of  the  Central  and  South  American  Cable  Com¬ 
pany.  Regular  steamer  communication  is  maintained  with 
foreign  countries  by  United  States,  British,  German,  Span¬ 
ish,  Italian,  and  Chilian  steamships. 

The  mining  industry  of  Colombia  has  shown  little  activity 
of  recent  years,  and  mining  enterprise  has  been  principally 
devoted  to  the  extraction  of  gold  and  the  search  for 
emeralds.  Silver  mining  has  occupied  public  attention 
from  time  to  time,  but  has  not  been  an  important  factor 
in  the  situation  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century.  Some 
idea  of  the  natural  mineral  wealth  of  the  republic  may  be 
formed  from  the  values  of  the  precious  metals  obtained  dur¬ 
ing  the  300  years  of  Spanish  occupation,  which  were  alleged 
to  be  worth  a  sum  exceeding  $300,000,000.  From  the 
department  of  Antioquia  gold  to  the  value  of  $200,000  is 
exported  annually  at  the  present  time,  and  the  total  annual 
output  of  all  minerals  has  during  the  last  few  years  averaged 
about  $4,000,000. 

The  copper  industry  is  capable  of  great  development  if 
once  the  difficulty  of  transportation  can  be  overcome.  In 
July,  1899,  an  outburst  of  speculation  occurred  in  the 
emerald  market,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  gems 


32 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


to  the  value  of  4,000,000  pesos  changed  hands,  often  at 
prices  greater  than  the  quotations  given  in  foreign  markets 
for  similar  stones. 

The  emerald,  which  is  green,  is  really  a  form  of  silicon 
in  combination  with  aluminium  and  another  very  rare 
metal.  The  Hebrews  believed  that  a  serpent  on  fixing 
its  eyes  on  an  emerald  became  blind. 


CHAPTER  VI 


Boeas  d<?l  5oro,  ^public  of  Colombia,  $.  f\. 


EGROES  from  the  West  Indies  squatted  on  the 
place  now  occupied  by  the  town  of  Bocas  del 
<?/J.  Toro  about  1824.  The  Mosquito  Indians  then 
made  trips  on  foot  all  the  way  from  the  Mosquito  coast 
to  points  about  midway  from  Bocas  del  Toro  to  Colon. 
No  one  seems  to  know  just  what  the  object  of  these  trips 
were,  but  the  negroes  who  settled  here  understood  from 
the  Indians  that  this  was  the  territory  of  the  Mosquito 
Indians.  They  therefore  asked  of  the  chief  permission  to 
form  a  colony  or  settlement  here,  which  the  chief  gave 
them,  and  charged  a  canoe  tax  which  they  paid,  and  con¬ 
sidered  themselves  under  his  protection.  A  man  named 
Nathaniel  Humphries  was  recognized  by  the  Mosquito 
king  and  by  the  settlers  as  the  head  of  the  colony.  On 
August  6,  1836,  a  man  named  Galindo  came  from  Costa 
Rica  and  made  a  stay  of  some  little  time;  he  was  expect¬ 
ing  soldiers  from  Costa  Rica,  who  would  take  possession  of 
the  place  in  the  name  of  the  Republic  of  Costa  Rica.  To 
this  idea  the  people  seemed  to  have  no  objection,  but  Ga- 


33 


34 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


Undo,  on  hearing  that  an  armed  insurrection  had  broken 
out  in  Costa  Rica,  hurried  back  there.  In  December,  1836, 
a  man  named  Paredes  came  to  Bocas  from  somewhere  in 
Colombia  (the  people  thought  from  Bogota),  with  two  small 
schooners,  the  Calamar  and  the  Tolima.  He  saw  each  one  of 
the  inhabitants  and  to'ld  them  that  he  had  come  with  instruc¬ 
tions  from  the  Colombian  government  to  take  possession 
of  this  place  as  Colombian  territory,  not  by  force,  but  with 
the  consent  of  the  people  living  here.  He  urged  the  peo¬ 
ple  to  plant  fruit  trees  and  make  plantations,  and  promised 
them  titles  to  their  lands  from  the  Colombian  government. 

The  people  were  peaceable  and  simple  and  agreed  with 
all  he  said,  and  on  December  8,  1836,  the  Colombian  flag 
was  raised  at  this  place,  and  has  been  in  full  peaceable 
possession  of  Colombia  ever  since. 

Bocas  del  Toro  holds  and  exercises  jurisdiction,  and  has 
done  so  for  many  years,  over  the  territory  as  far  as  the 
Sixaula  River  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and  to  the  Gulf  of 
Dulce  on  the  Pacific.  All  American  maps  show  the  Costa 
Rica  limit  far  to  the  eastward  of  this  line,  but  every  man 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Sixaula  River  considers  himself 
and  is  considered  by  Colombia  a  Colombian,  and  is  un¬ 
questionably  within  the  jurisdiction  of  Colombian  laws, 
officials,  and  courts.  Colombia  has  for  many  years  main¬ 
tained  a  Commissary  of  Police  on  the  right  bank  of  the 


Hibiscus  Grandiflora 


BOCAS  DEL  TORO 


35 


Sixaula,  and  Costa  Rica  has  done  the  same  thing  on  the 
left  bank.  Smugglers  and  fugitives  from  justice  have  con¬ 
sidered  the  river  the  dividing  line  between  the  two  repub¬ 
lics,  and  the  officials  of  both  governments  have  done  and 
do  the  same. 

In  the  year  1824,  a  few  Jamaicans  drifted  down  to  this 
coast,  and  gradually  a  settlement  of  five  or  six  families 
was  made  where  Bocas  del  Toro  now  stands.  The  Repub¬ 
lic  of  Colombia  annexed  it  in  1836,  the  central  authority 
being  in  Panama.  Bocas  del  Toro  now  (1900)  numbers 
3000  inhabitants,  mostly  negroes  from  Jamaica;  there  are 
also  about  50  Chinamen,  small  shop-keepers  for  the  most 
part.  In  the  district  there  are  about  13,000  people 
scattered  about  the  islands,  who  purchase  their  supplies 
in  Bocas  del  Toro. 

In  Almirante  Bay,  opposite  Bocas  del  Toro  (where  the 
steamers  of  the  United  Fruit  Company  anchor),  there  is 
30  feet  of  water.  On  Columbus  Island  (Bocas)  there 
are  many  white-faced  baboons  which  inhabit  the  jungle 
back  of  the  town. 

The  town  of  Bocas  depends  for  its  water  supply  upon 
rain-water,  which  is  stored  in  large  tanks,  each  house 
having  its  own  reservoir.  The  money  in  Bocas  del  Toro 
consists  of  50,  25,  and  10  cent  silver  pieces ;  there  is  no 
paper  money,  exchange  being  $2.50  for  $1.00  gold. 


36 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


The  American  Consular  Agent  is  Mr.  Hand ;  British 
Vice-Consul  Mr.  F.  Jackson.  Captain  Barnet,  of  the  Eng¬ 
lish  Navy,  first  explored  the  Chiriqui  lagoon  in  1839,  ar|d 
reported  very  favorably  to  the  Admiralty.  The  plantations 
of  the  United  Fruit  Company  (at  the  foot  of  the  moun¬ 
tains  bordering  on  the  Chiriqui  lagoon,  and  25  miles 
from  Bocas)  number  some  2000  manzanas  (a  manzana  is 
1.73  acres).  A  railroad  eight  miles  in  length  passes 


BOCAS  DEL  TORO 


through  the  plantations,  serving  to  carry  the  bananas  to 
the  shore,  where  they  are  loaded  on  scows  and  towed  by 
naphtha  launches  (of  which  the  United  Fruit  Company  own 
a  dozen)  to  Bocas  del  Toro. 

Chiriqui  Plantation 

Chiriqui  Plantation  consists  of  650  manzanas,  all  planted 
with  bananas,  the  cutting  of  the  bananas  being  done 


BOCAS  DEL  TORO 


37 


twice  a  week.  A  short  railroad  with  one  engine  here 
assists  the  laborers. 

Chiriquicito  Plantations 

(Eureka  and  Guarumo) 

THE  UNITED  FRUIT  COMPANY 

Chiriquicito  Plantations  cut  some  30,000  bunches  of 
bananas  a  month.  Each  subdivision  of  this  plantation 
employs  300  laborers.  There  are  two  engines  on  this 
11-mile  railroad  of  Chiriquicito.  A  few  rubber  trees  are 
growing  here.  There  is  no  cultivation  between  the  rows 
of  banana  plants ;  this  is  found  unnecessary,  the  land  at 
the  present  time  being  so  very  rich.  Mr.  Victor  Georget, 
manager. 

EUREKA 

A  new  plantation,  lately  laid  out,  has  not  yet  (January, 
1900)  begun  to  bear.  It  consists  of  1300  manzanas. 
One  hundred  laborers  are  told  off  for  work  at  this  spot. 
A  short  railroad  with  one  engine  assists  the  workmen 
here.  Mr.  Widgren,  manager. 

GUARUMO 

This  plantation  has  500  manzanas  of  bananas  and 
30  laborers.  It  is  under  the  efficient  management  of 
Mr.  Westmoreland.  No  railroad  has  been  finished  as  yet. 


38 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


Roisalo 

Robalo  Plantation,  of  550  nianzanas  of  bananas,  is  about 
20  miles  from  Bocas.  Mr.  Wyman  has  charge  here. 

Monkey  Key 

Monkey  Key  Plantation,  lately  started,  supplies  ground 
provisions  to  the  other  plantation^  of  the  United  Fruit 
Company.  This  thriving  plantation  has  some  young  cacao 
trees  (chocolate)  now  started.  Mr.  Harland  has  control  of 
the  management. 

Rio  Caucho 

Rio  Caucho  Plantation,  near  Monkey  Key,  about  16 
miles  from  Bocas,  has  a  railroad  of  three  and  a  half 
miles  in  length,  and  employs  40  laborers,  who  keep  in 
condition  and  cut  the  fruit  from  250  manzanas  of 
bananas,  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Brown.  There 
are  also  about  five  other  plantations  scattered  through 
the  lagoons  about  Bocas,  all  the  property  of  the  United 
Fruit  Company.  The  United  Fruit  Company  own  12 
naphtha  launches  and  75  lighters  in  Bocas  del 
Toro,  which  serve  to  load  the  steamers  which  run  to 
New  Orleans  and  Mobile  twice  or  three  times  a  week. 
Two  million  bunches  of  bananas  are  exported  from  Bocas 
del  Toro  each  year  to  New  Orleans  and  Mobile  by  this 
company. 


BOCAS  DEL  TORO 


39 


The  plantation  of  Mr.  Theo.  Gambee  (late  of  Norwalk, 
Ohio)  is  situated  on  the  mainland  nine  miles  from  Bocas 
del  Toro.  The  house  faces  the  east  about  300  feet  above 
the  sea.  The  plantation  is  near  to  the  locality  called 
“Sharks  Hole  ;  there  are  about  80  manzanas  of  bananas 
under  cultivation,  and  the  writer  remarked  some  5000 


BOCAS  DEL  TORO 


pineapples  growing  luxuriantly.  Mr.  Gambee  is  a  noted 
naturalist  and  collector  of  orchids  and  plants.  Poco 
Monte,  on  an  island  10  miles  from  Bocas,  is  a  new  plan¬ 
tation  started  in  1889  by  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Byrd  and 
Withroe.  They  have  under  cultivation  250  manzanas  of 
bananas,  also  a  number  of  rubber  and  cacao  trees.  A 


40 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


well-stocked  general  store  is  open,  and  the  firm  are  in 
close  touch  with  the  town  of  Bocas  by  means  of  their 
launches  and  lighters. 

The  situation  of  Poco  Monte  is  ideal,  and  in  a  few 
years  this  valuable  property  will  be  an  earthly  paradise. 
Bocas  del  Toro  offers  especial  inducements  to  planters 
with  moderate  capital.  There  are  no  large  tracts  of  land 
left,  but  there  are  a  few  choice  locations  of  about  ioo 
to  200  acres  still  unclaimed. 


Main  Street  of  Bocas  del  Toro. 


CHAPTER  VII 


pollvlore  of  Colombia 


N  indication  of  early  visits  of  white  men  to  Central 
and  South  America  is  found  in  a  legend  told 
among  the  Indians  of  Colombia,  to  the  effect  that 
Bohica,  a  bearded  white  man,  appeared  to  the  Moscas  on  the 
Bogota  plains,  and  taught  them  farming,  building,  draining, 


and  civil  government  before  he  retired  to  a  hermitage  for 


two  thousand  years.  When  the  Spaniards  invested  Bogota, 
they  guarded  the  roads,  so  as  to  cut  off  the  chance  of 
escape  and  intercept  any  approach  of  reenforcements. 
The  Spanish  men-at-arms  soon  had  the  city  in  their 
power,  the  natives  having  been  awed  by  the  thunder  and 
slaughter  caused  by  their  guns  into  the  belief  that  the 
Spaniards  were  invincible.  The  invaders,  as  they  entered, 
found  the  people  either  attempting  flight  or  extended  along 
the  streets  in  supplication  ;  but,  paying  little  attention  to 
them,  save  when  it  was  necessary  to  beat  back  a  threat¬ 
ening  band,  they  pressed  on  toward  the  centre  of  the  town, 
from  which  a  great  smoke  was  rising,  for  here,  they  knew, 
was  the  Temple,  and  here  they  hoped  to  find  treasure. 


41 


42 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


The  sound  of  a  solemn  chant  arose  within,  and,  as  they 
came  clattering  and  shouting  to  the  door,  the  people,  in  a 
frenzy  at  their  intended  sacrilege,  made  one  last  and  vain 
attempt  to  stay  them. 

Benalcazas  and  his  men  rushed  in.  Before  the  statue 
of  a  grim  god  a  funeral  pyre  had  been  reared,  and  the 
flames  were  snapping  over  it.  Gums  and  spices  had 
been  thrown  upon  the  logs,  and  the  smoke  was  choking  in 
its  fragrance.  Vessels  of  gold  had  been  heaped  in  a  corner, 
ready  to  carry  away  and  hide,  and  the  eyes  of  the  Spaniards 
fastened  on  them  greedily  ;  but  as  the  smoke  blew  aside  the 
leader  saw  what  made  him  pause.  Three  white  men,  not 
Spaniards,  nor  like  them,  stepped  upon  the  fire,  still  chant¬ 
ing,  their  look  turned  skyward,  their  hands  raised  high. 

Long  beards  flowed  upon  their  breasts,  and  their  rich 
gowns  were  heavy  with  gems  and  gold.  Without  look  or 
word  for  the  intruders,  these  men  of  a  race  unknown  went 
calmly  to  their  death. 


The  Legend  of  El  Dorado 

This  legend  relates  to  a  Chibcha  chief,  who  anointed  his 
body  with  gum,  and  over  which  his  priests  twice  a  day  blew 
gold-dust.  In  1536  A.  d.,  three  expeditions  of  Spaniards, 
hearing  of  this  fable,  set  out  to  conquer  Colombia.  El 


FOLK-LORE  OF  COLOMBIA 


43 


Dorado  ruled  in  Manoa,  which  may  have  been  the  prede¬ 
cessor  of  Bogota. 

The  Foundation  of  a  Fortune 

The  old  city  of  Medellin  lay  steeped  in  mist  and  wet,  the 
tropical  rains  lashed  and  splashed  and  tinkled  over  the 
tiled  roofs,  and  seemed  to  especially  vent  their  fury  on  a  worn 
old  house,  called  in  mild  sarcasm  by  his  neighbors  “The 
Castle  in  Spain,”  of  Ramon  Julia  y  Vega  B.  Senorita  Con¬ 
cepcion  Vega,  only  daughter  of  Ramon  Julia  y  Vega  B, 
sought  to  while  away  the  long  afternoons  of  the  rainy  season. 
It  was  not  a  success  ;  so  she  declared,  as  she  pulled  out  the 
long  tail  of  Pietro  “  El  Rosa,”  the  old  macaw,  which  had 
hung  and  circled  on  his  perch  for  as  many  years  as  she 
herself  possessed.  It  was  well  known  that  Senor  Vega 
boasted  of  a  clear,  unmixed  descent  from  one  of  Pizarro’s 
lieutenants,  with  no  addition  of  Indian  blood,  and  that  it 
was  his  dearest  wish  to  have  his  daughter  well  and  happily 
and  richly  married,  and  his  old  age  provided  for.  All  this, 
as  you  may  say,  was  reasonable  and  just;  but  the  extreme 
poverty  which  had  afflicted  this  fine  old  stock  had  con¬ 
tinued  for  generations,  and  Fortune,  turning  her  rapid 
wheel,  had  only  passed  in  the  night,  and  left  no  message 
of  hope.  This  good  year  of  18 —  had  nearly  come  to 
a  close ;  the  feast  of  La  Asuncion  was  about  to  open  ; 


44 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


the  country  groaned  under  the  tax  and  extortionate  demands 
of  the  Spanish  governor-general,  and  finally,  unable  to  with¬ 
stand  the  crushing  cruelties  of  the  mother  country,  the 
patriotic  army  of  Bolivar  rushed  to  arms,  and,  as  this  story 
opens,  had  all  but  wrenched  the  sceptre  of  power  from 
unwilling,  but  nerveless,  hands. 

The  rare  old  sehor,  rich  indeed  in  warm  and  generous 
instincts,  irascible  at  times  under  the  rubs  that  wayward 
Fortune  gave  him,  mighty  in  his  majesty  and  strength,  was 
roaring  out  his  orders  in  the  patio  of  the  house  which  was 
bordered  by  the  stables,  where  were  cared  for  the  twelve 
mules  which  constituted  the  only  source  of  income  of  Senor 
Vega.  “  Hombre,  hombre,  how  often,  O  Manuelo,  thou 
lazy  peon,”  pursued  Senor  Vega,  “  have  I  cautioned  thee 
that  also  La  Chiquita  must  be  looked  to  ;  already  have  we 
lost  one  ear  from  the  Wise  One  by  the  unmitigated  false 
and  hardened  wretches  that  crawl  in  the  grass  and  imbed 
their  claws  in  my  most  valuable  property ;  a  blister  has 
appeared  on  the  near  fore  hock  of  this  my  pearl  Bonita,” 
sputtered  the  careful  owner.  “How,  then,  can  I  be  prepared 
to  carry  on  short  notice  the  rice  of  Senor  Domingo  Martino, 
or  the  firewood  for  Senora  Carmen  from  the  Magdalena, 
so  many  miles  away  from  this  city  of  love  and  order?” 

“Merciful  saints,  hear  the  senor,”  audibly  grumbled 
Manuelo.  “Cannot  the  most  illustrious  and  gentle-blooded 


Indian  Woman  of  Talamanca  —  Costa  Rica. 


FOLK-LORE  OF  COLOMBIA 


45 


one  remember  that  all  care  has  been  taken,  have  not  these 
useful  hands  tenderly  cared  for  those  precious  lives?”  All 
conversation  was  here  ended  by  the  illustrious  twelve  lifting 
up  their  voices  at  one  and  the  same  time,  inquiring  for  their 
sugar-cane  and  corn.  Upon  this  family  signal  the  senor’s 
daughter  began  laying  the  table  for  the  evening  repast, 
while  their  only  servant  girl  soon  brought  the  soup  to 
the  table. 

At  this  point,  according  to  all  rules  for  the  winning 
of  a  pretty  girl,  a  young  man  should  now  appear  who  would 
serenade,  make  love,  and  be  refused  by  the  obdurate  father ; 
but  Concepcion  found  young  men  scarce  on  account  of  the 
revolution.  Driven  to  despair  by  lack  of  homage,  she 
quarrelled  with  her  father  at  dinner  because  he  would  not 
allow  her  to  go  to  the  next  fiesta.  So,  upon  the  retiring 
to  bed  of  Senor  Vega,  Concepcion  (knowing  that  the  Spanish 
troops  held  the  pass  in  the  mountains  near  by,  the  entrance 
to  which  opened  out  near  the  house)  stole  out  late  that 
night  to  the  stables.  She  bound  to  the  back  of  each  mule 
all  the  broken  pots  and  pans,  sticks  and  stones,  that  were 
about  the  house,  and  drove  the  entire  twelve  toward  the 
entrance  of  the  pass. 

Concepcion  was  an  ardent  revolutionist,  and  hoped  for 
the  deliverance  of  her  country  from  the  bonds  of  Spain. 
The  Spanish  guard  of  nearly  200  men  rolled  sleepily 


46 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


about  before  their  camp-fires,  moodily  considering  their 
lack  of  entertainment  for  the  evening  ;  and  while  they 
were  trying  to  while  the  time  away  with  games  of  chance 
and  other  innocent  amusements,  the  night  was  slowly 
passing,  the  canon  above  them  dark  and  gloomy  and  filled 
with  the  smoke  of  their  fires  and  the  mist  from  the  rain- 
soaked  ground,  when  suddenly  a  fearful  din  arose  in  the 
pass,  the  rolling  sound  of  pounding  hoofs  and  rattle  of 
iron  was  borne  toward  the  guard,  carried  down  the  rocky 
way  by  a  fierce  wind,  ever  increasing  in  a  stupendous  and 
ominous  roar.  A  panic  now  seized  the  guard,  and  they 
ran  toward  the  main  camp,  spreading  consternation  among 
their  comrades.  Gloriously  charged  the  mule  brigade,  add¬ 
ing  their  brays  of  irritation  and  defiance  to  the  clamor,  their 
interest  in  the  proceedings  being  enhanced  by  a  piece  of 
cactus  placed  under  the  root  of  each  one’s  tail  by  the 
sagacious  senorita. 

After  a  while  the  soldiers  recovered  from  their  panic, 
discovered  the  cause  of  it,  and  seized  the  mutinous  twelve; 
and,  as  several  of  their  wagons  had  broken  down,  utilized 
the  animals  by  packing  a  part  of  the  treasure  they  were 
convoying  upon  the  property  of  Senor  Vega. 

The  next  night  the  Spanish  convoy  was  attacked  by  the 
revolutionists  and  cut  to  pieces  ;  but,  as  the  attack  was  a 
confusing  and  sudden  one,  part  of  the  convoy  was  separated 


FOLK-LORE  OF  COLOMBIA 


47 


from  the  main  force  and  abandoned  by  their  guards  ;  the 
mules,  still  laden  with  their  golden  treasure,  wandered  away 
and  were  lost  in  the  defiles  of  the  mountains. 

Some  days  after,  when  all  political  troubles  and  disturb¬ 
ances  had  drifted  away  from  this  district,  one  quiet  night 
the  sorrowing  owner  of  the  immortal  twelve  heard  snuffing 
and  stamping  outside  his  gate,  and  behold !  most  wonderful  ! 
the  saints  be  praised !  at  last  the  prodigal  sons  return 
minus  eight  of  their  number,  but  still  heavily  loaded  with 
the  rich  treasure  of  the  Spaniards,  who  had  fled  the  country. 

To  the  rare  intelligence  of  the  tough  and  hardy  mules, 
and  the  love  displayed  for  their  former  home  and  owner, 
is  ascribed  the  successful  founding  of  one  of  the  greatest 
and  wealthiest  families  of  the  Colombia  of  to-day. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


Qosta  Ffiea,  <$.  f\. 


NOTHER  short  sea  voyage  of  a  day  and  a  half  is 
beford  the  traveller  before  he  reaches  Port  Limon 
in  Costa  Rica,  the  next  port  of  call  in  the  circle 
of  the  “Golden  Caribbean.”  As  the  land  draws  near,  the 
early  morning  light  reveals  an  extraordinary  tropical  appear¬ 
ance,  the  outlines  of  enormous  trees  draped  with  straggling 
vines  shoot  up  above  a  lesser  vegetation  still  shrouded  in 
a  blue  mist,  suggesting  powder  smoke.  Farther  back  the 
hills  rise  ever  higher  and  higher,  and  distant  peaks  meet 
these  lower  ranges  and  collect  in  long,  curving  outlines, 
disappearing  in  an  undulating  chain  to  the  south.  The 
chill  of  the  night  is  still  in  the  air,  and  you  are  surprised 
to  find  that  Port  Limon  (though  in  the  same  latitude) 
is  much  cooler  than  Cartagena. 

Then,  as  the  sun  rises  higher,  the  outlines  of  the  town 
become  sharper,  the  colors  of  the  background  of  tropical 
hills  and  valleys  change  to  more  pronounced  hues  of 
brilliant  green,  and  glisten,  like  the  feathers  on  the  breast 
of  a  humming-bird,  in  the  rays  of  a  dazzling  sun.  A 


Indian  Woman  and  Children  —  Costa  Rica. 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


49 


beautiful  park  opposite  the  bank,  decorated  with  over  40 
varieties  of  crotons  and  many  willow  trees,  arrests  the  eye 
as  we  land  and  proceed  to  the  hotel. 

The  members  of  the  Litnon  Improvement  Committee 
are  to  be  congratulated  upon  the  taste  displayed  in  the 
arrangement  and  massing  of  these  multi-colored  trees.  The 
Central  Hotel,  on  the  main  street  of  Port  Limon,  is  large 
and  clean,  and  the  table  d’hote  is  excellent.  After  a  rest 
of  a  day  or  two  at  the  hotel,  with  new  anticipations  of 
other  sensations  of  tropical  novelties,  we  walk  leisurely  to 
the  railway  station  and  engage  our  passage  to  San  Jose, 
the  capital  of  Costa  Rica.  We  draw  out  of  the  station, 
amid  the  farewells  of  hosts  of  Jamaicans,  who  chatter  and 
grin  and  husk  their  ivories  with  delight  at  the  sight  of 
unfamiliar  faces,  and  rattle  off  through  miles  of  plantations 
and  swamp.  Running  parallel  to  the  sea  beach  the  railroad 
passes  through  little  villages  of  Jamaica  negroes  placed 
at  intervals  along  the  line,  each  little  house  surrounded 
with  a  few  well-chosen  decorative  trees  and  shrubs.  Every 
owner  has  his  own  vine  and  fig  tree  ;  and  the  family  rocking- 
chair  on  each  veranda  is  usually  occupied  by  some  girl  or 
old  woman,  her  head  bound  around  with  a  scarlet  turban. 
Toward  noon  the  train  pulls  up  at  Siquirries  for  breakfast. 
A  little  primitive  lunch  room,  providing  a  rather  limited 
Spanish  breakfast,  is  met  with  at  this  station.  The  food  is 


5° 


THE  HOI. DEN  CARIBBEAN 


distinctly  not  so  good  as  the  breakfast  one  gets  on  the 
down  trip  from  San  Jose  ;  but  it  is  hoped  that  there  will 
be  an  improvement  as  soon  as  the  estimable  proprietress 
recovers  from  her  unfortunate  accident  of  last  winter. 

The  train  proceeds  through  the  dense  tropical  forest 
bordering  on  the  Reventazon  River,  the  air  heavy  with 
unfamiliar  odors,  the  moist  humid  atmosphere  redolent 


REVENTAZON  RIVER 


with  the  aromatic  scent  of  trees  and  shrubs.  Tremendous 
guava  trees  rear  their  heads  high  above  the  denser  foliage, 
and  spread  out  their  immense  crests,  from  which  long, 
creeping  vines  hang  down  like  cordage  on  a  ship. 

The  Reventazon  River  roars  and  plunges  through  a 
narrow  canon,  along  the  border  of  which  the  train  creeps 
slowly,  mounting,  ever  mounting,  toward  cooler  valleys  and 
a  climate  of  perpetual  June.  As  we  approach  Turialba  the 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


5i 


temperature  gradually  falls,  and  soon  all  is  changed  : 
the  tropical  foliage  of  papaw  and  banana  gives  place  to 
the  plantain  and  coffee  plant,  and  a  delicious  breeze  flows 
through  the  car  fresh  off  the  mountain  sides.  The  hot  belt 
is  left  behind,  the  air  is  crisp  and  free  from  malarial  influ¬ 
ences  ;  and  though  it  is  in  the  month  of  December  or 
January,  and  we  are  at  the  elevation  of  3000  feet  above 
the  sea,  the  effect  is  that  of  June  in  Virginia.  Here  and 
there  on  the  mountain*  side  the  hacienda  of  some  coffee 
estate  peeps  out  with  its  red-tiled  roof,  marking  the  site 
of  a  happy  home. 

To  some,  the  crossing  of  the  great  bridge  high  above 
the  valley  of  the  Reventazon  is  the  greatest  novelty  on  the 
railroad  journey  to  San  Jose  ;  to  others  the  gradual  change 
of  the  temperature ;  then  again  a  study  of  the  changes 
of  race  from  black  to  brown  to  white,  marking  the  different 
points  where  the  negro  falls  back  before  the  increased 
energy  of  the  dominant  race,  give  to  many  people  subjects 
for  interesting  comparisons  and  speculation. 

Costa  Rica,  the  southernmost  republic  of  Central  Amer¬ 
ica,  lies  between  8°  and  ii°  16'  N.  latitude,  and  8i°  35' 
and  85°  40'  W.  longitude  from  Greenwich.  Its  area  is 
about  23,000  square  miles.  Until  1540,  Spain  reserved  for 
the  Crown  that  part  of  the  territory  of  Veragua  lying  west 
of  the  portion  which  had  been  granted  to  the  heirs  of 


$2 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


Columbus,  but  in  that  year  it  was  erected  into  a  province 
called  Costa  Rica.  Up  to  1622,  15  governors  succeeded 
Don  Juan  Vasquez  de  Coronado. 

In  1622,  Costa  Rica  bad  but  50  Spanish  families.  Fifty- 
eight  governors  followed  from  1563  to  1797.  On  Septem¬ 
ber  15,  1821,  Costa  Rica  proclaimed  independence  from 
Spain;  in  1824,  Costa  Rica  declared  herself  a  republic, 
and  elected  Juan  Mora  as  president. 

Senor  Don  Rafael  Iglesias  (1894)  is  the  present  (1900) 
president  of  the  republic. 


Port  Limon 

Port  Limon  is  the  only  port  of  entry  of  Costa  Rica  on 
the  Caribbean  Sea.  The  first  house  was  built  there  in  1871. 
The  harbor  faces  the  south,  and  is  formed  by  a  little 
peninsula  on  which  Limon  is  situated  ;  Limon  has  4000 
population.  A  small  island,  called  Uvita,  lies  east  at  a 
distance  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  town.  Port 
Limon  has  a  wooden  pier,  930  feet  long,  but  a  fine  iron 
pier  is  now  ready  to  replace  it. 

The  Atlantic  Railroad  goes  from  Port  Limon  west  to 
Alajuela,  a  distance  of  1 1 7  miles  from  Limon.  The  train 
leaves  for  San  Jose,  from  the  bank  in  Limon,  at  8.30  a.m., 
arriving  at  San  Jose  (103  miles)  about  5  p.m.  English 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


53 


is  spoken  on  all  the  trains  ;  breakfast  may  be  taken  at 
Siquirries  at  10.30  a.m. 

At  Peralta  (1400  feet)  the  traveller  first  notices  the 
change  to  a  cooler  temperature,  and  at  the  station  of 
Turialba  it  is  decidedly  marked. 

A  branch  of  this  road  runs  from  La  Junta  to  Guapiles, 
on  the  plains  of  Santa  Clara.  Another  branch  goes  from 
Limon  to  the  Banana  River. 

About  2.30  p.m.  the  train  passes  over  the  Pirriz  bridge, 
on  the  way  to  San  Jose.  This  magnificent  engineering  work 
is  620  feet  long  and  220  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  river. 
The  traveller  should  seek  the  left-hand  windows.  The 
eye  plunges  into  the  gorge  of  the  Reventazon  River  as  it 
winds  to  the  sea,  coffee  plantations  start  into  view  across 
the  gorge,  and  the  river  surges  and  flashes  in  the  sun  far 
below.  As  the  train  approaches  Paraiso  station,  the  vol¬ 
cano  of  Irazu  (11,200  feet  above  the  sea)  can  be  seen  on 
the  right,  rising  in  terraces  to  the  clouds.  The  volcano 
can  be  seen  best  from  the  train  upon  leaving  San  Jose 
(as  Cartago  is  reached  at  9  a.m.)  ;  at  that  time  of  the  day 
the  peak  is  free  from  clouds.  The  mountains  of  Costa 
Rica  extend  from  the  frontier  of  Colombia  to  within  a 
few  miles  of  Brito  ;  the  northern  central  plateau  does  not 
show  the  regular  conical  form  which  usually  characterizes 
a  volcano.  The  general  line  of  the  southern  slopes  ascends 


54 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


in  an  imperceptible  manner  toward  the  summit,  in  a  succes¬ 
sion  of  terraces.  On  the  Irazu  volcano  eight  such  ter¬ 
races  are  observable  from  Cartago  to  the  summit.  The 
Irazu  has  various  craters,  formed  successively,  each  con¬ 
tributing  to  the  gradual  rising  of  the  mass.  The  Irazu 
volcano,  which  had  eruptions  in  1723,  1726,  1821,  and 
1847,  has  an  altitude  (according  to  Niederlein)  of  11,200 
feet,  and  from  its  summit  both  oceans  are  visible. 

The  forests  of  Costa  Rica  abound  in  rich  and  valuable 
trees,  among  which  are  mahogany  and  cedar.  Probably  no 
equal  area  of  the  New  World  possesses  such  a  diversity  of 
floral  forms.  According  to  Professor  Pittier,  the  flora  01 
Costa  Rica  is  not  similar  to  Nicaragua.  Many  varieties  of 
parrots  enliven  the  forests.  The  jaguar,  puma,  ocelot,  coy¬ 
ote,  otter,  wild  boar,  tapir,  armadillo,  etc.,  roam  through  the 
mountains,  also  a  migratory  bat  of  enormous  size.  The 
vampire  bat  at  times  invades  the  southeast  coast  of  Costa 
Rica. 

Searching  for  the  Art  Treasures  of  Costa  Rica 

Up  a  mountain  trail,  on  the  flanks  of  the  Irazu  vol¬ 
cano,  lie  countless  Indian  graves,  arranged  (in  a  hidden 
valley)  in  circles  about  a  central  point,  marked  by  low, 
square  stones  and  covered  by  bushes.  The  graves  are 
reached  by  a  horseback  ride  of  about  seven  miles  from 


In  the  Forest  of  Costa  Rica. 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


55 


Cartago,  rather  a  rough  road  and  steep.  About  a  two 
hours’  ride  brings  one  to  a  gate  on  the  left,  where  the 
horses  are  tied  ;  a  short  walk  across  the  field,  and  the 
excavations  are  reached.  Piles  of  black  loam  on  all  sides, 
broken  pottery,  and  human  bones  mark  the  location  of 
one  of  Costa  Rica's  most  interesting  historical  sites. 

Mr.  R.  Le  Croix,  of  Cartago,  has  the  concession  from 
the  government  of  Costa  Rica  to  excavate  here.  Mr. 
Le  Croix  speaks  English  and  French,  and  is  a  noted 
expert  in  this  field  of  operations.  His  collections  of  rare 
pottery  have  been  admired  by  all;  the  Italian  minister  to 
Costa  Rica,  an  amateur  collector,  and  the  Costa  Rica  gov¬ 
ernment  and  others  purchase  the  largest  part  of  his  rarest 
discoveries. 

Cartago 

Cartago  (until  1823),  the  former  capital  of  Costa  Rica, 
was  founded  in  1563  by  Don  Juan  Vasquez  de  Coronado. 
The  apparition  of  the  Virgin  of  the  Angels  occurred 
August  2,  1643.  The  tradition  relates  that  a  little  image 
was  found  on  a  rock  from  beneath  which  a  spring  gushed 
forth.  A  native  woman  found  this  image,  which  she  took 
home  with  her.  Returning  next  day  to  the  spring  she 
found  another  image,  which  she  took  home  to  compare 
with  the  first.  To  her  surprise  the  first  had  vanished; 
the  third  day  the  second  image  had  disappeared  mysteri- 


56 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


ously.  A  priest  was  made  acquainted  with  the  facts,  and 
he  repaired  with  various  citizens  to  the  fountain  where  a 
third  time  the  image  was  discovered.  It  was  declared  to 
be  a  miraculous  manifestation  of  the  Virgin  of  the  Angels, 
and  construed  as  a  sign  that  a  church  be  erected  upon 
the  spot,  which  was  afterward  done. 

Cartago  is  well  worth  visiting,  especially  on  a  Thursday 
or  Sunday,  as  at  that  time  the  weekly  market  opens  and 
there  can  be  seen  the  country  people  flocking  to  the  city 
to  display  their  Sunday  finery  and  to  make  their  weekly 
purchases.  The  hotel  of  Madame  Jokes  is  the  best  in  the 
city;  German  and  Spanish  cooking.  The  hotel  accom¬ 
modates  about  ten  guests.  For  those  visitors  who  desire 
to  ascend  the  volcano  of  Irazu,  it  would  be  well  to  allow 
two  or  three  days  for  the  trip.  Mr.  R.  Le  Croix  will  act 
as  guide  and  supply  horses  for  any  one  wishing  to  attempt 
the  ascent. 

San  Jose,  Costa  Rica 

In  the  year  1738,  a  few  people  came  together  and 
formed  a  settlement  under  the  name  of  “  Boca  del 
Monte,”  or  San  Jose.  There  were  some  few  sugar  plan¬ 
tations  here  at  the  time  and  twenty-one  inhabitants.  In 
1751  there  was  a  population  of  about  2330  souls.  The 
civil  government  was  under  a  lieutenant-governor  and 
157  soldiers  and  a  company  of  cavalry. 


Bridge  in  the  Suburbs  of  Cartago. 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


57 


These  are  the  earliest  data  to  be  had  as  to  the  found¬ 
ing  of  San  Jose.  The  Court  of  Spain  granted  San  Jose 
the  title  of  “City”  on  October  1 6,  1813. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  railway  station  at  San  Jose,  the 
tourist  will  find  the  English-speaking  manager  of  the 
Imperial  Hotel  in  waiting;  he  can  be  found  in  the  crowd 
by  the  kind  assistance  of  Mr.  Woodruff,  the  conductor  of 
the  train.  The  Imperial  Hotel  and  the  Hotel  de  France 
are  both  under  the  experienced  management  of  Senor 
G.  de  Benedictis.  It  is  a  matter  of  taste  as  to  which 
hotel  you  choose;  and  everything,  from  “  Apollinaris  ”  to 
quail  on  toast,  can  be  found  at  the  well-served  table  d’hote. 

On  December  29  and  30  occur  the  yearly  fiesta.  At 
this  time  the  Costa  Rica  peon  lets  himself  loose,  confetti 
is  thrown,  and  carnival  reigns  supreme ;  all  business 
ceases,  and  the  town  is  wide  open,  with  bull  fights,  cock 
fights,  merry-go-rounds,  foot-ball,  etc.  At  the  National 
Theatre  the  regular  New  Year’s  ball  is  given,  with  the 
president  of  the  republic  in  attendance.  The  weather  at 
this  time  is  magnificent,  the  thermometer  standing  about 
65°  to  70°  F.  The  nights  are  cool ;  in  the  evening- 
one  requires  a  light  overcoat.  In  fact,  San  Jose  has  a 
climate  of  perpetual  spring. 

About  the  year  1890  some  30  Talamanca  Indians 
visited  San  Jose.  They  were  all  (both  men  and  women) 


5« 


THE  HOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


naked,  except  a  breech-cloth  ;  they  came  through  by  way 
of  Alajuela.  They  were  entertained  by  the  citizens  for  a 
short  time  and  returned  home  after  being  photographed. 

The  Monkey  God 

(A  Legend  of  Costa  Rica) 

Many  years  ago  the  Spanish  conquerors,  seeking  gold 
in  the  country  now  forming  Costa  Rica,  found  an  Indian 
chief  who  worshipped  a  golden  image  formed  in  shape  of 
a  monkey  seated.  The  Spaniards  desired  to  find  where 
the  gold  came  from  which  formed  this  image.  The  chief 
asked  the  Spaniards  to  worship  the  monkey  god  ;  the 
explorers  agreed  to  this,  but  insisted  that  they  should  be 
informed  where  the  mine  was  situated  from  which  this 
image  was  made.  To  this  the  chief  agreed.  While  being 
taken  to  the  mine  by  the  chief  the  Spaniards  attempted 
to  steal  the  monkey  god,  which  so  enraged  the  Indian 
chief  that  the  Spaniards  were  surrounded  and  killed. 

The  Enchanted  Lake 
(A  Folk-lore  Tale  of  Costa  Rica) 

In  the  south  of  Costa  Rica  the  native  Costa  Rican 
places  the  enchanted  lake.  Travelling  through  the  moun¬ 
tains,  the  explorer  comes  toward  evening  to  a  defile  in 
the  mountains.  Exhausted  with  fatigue,  and  seeking  a 


San  Jose — Peon  Market  Cart. 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


59 


pleasant  camp  to  rest  for  the  night,  he  approaches  a 
beautiful  valley.  Through  the  dusk  of  advancing  night  he 
discerns  a  lovelv  lake  surrounded  with  flowers.  Rushing 
forward,  overjoyed  at  his  discovery,  suddenly  terrific 
discharges  of  thunder  occur,  and  the  lake  disappears, 
completely  ingulfed  in  the  darkness  of  a  raging  storm. 
At  daybreak  no  lake  is  to  be  found,  and  the  superstitious 
traveller  is  again  reminded  of  the  agencies  at  work  of 
the  ancient  Aztec  gods,  who  still  retain  control  of  the 
remote  parts  of  Costa  Rica. 

To  thoroughly  appreciate  San  Jose,  one  should  take 
an  electric  car,  carriage,  or  horseback  ride  about  the 
suburbs  of  the  city  ;  the  delicious  air  of  these  high  alti¬ 
tudes  is  invigorating  and  healthful.  During  January  and 

£  > 

February  roses  bloom  in  the  open  air,  and  in  the  market 
fresh  strawberries  are  for  sale. 

The  old  market  is  well  worth  visiting  any  day,  espe¬ 
cially  on  a  Saturday,  where  every  commodity  suitable  for 
the  welfare  of  the  Costa  Rican  peon  is  on  sale.  The 
fine  showing  of  vegetables  and  dulce  sugar  is  notable,  and 
some  excellent  samples  of  native  weaving  in  silken  scarfs 
for  the  peasant  women  can  be  seen  waving  in  the  wind 
before  the  booths. 

The  streets  surrounding  the  market  are  constantly 
choked  with  the  wagons  of  the  farmers  from  near  and 


6o 


T  HE.  ( i  O  L  D  E  N  C  A  R I B  B  E  A  N 


distant  towns,  the  patient  oxen  laboriously  dragging  about 
full-laden  carts  and  wincing  under  the  goad.  The  peon 
walks  in  front  of  the  oxen  (seldom  on  the  side,  as  is 
done  in  the  States),  resting  his  goad  on  the  yoke.  Here 
and  there  you  will  observe  little  horses  fastened  to  rings 
in  the  wall,  a  case  hanging  from  the  saddle-bow  for  an 
umbrella,  and  bound  over  the  crupper  a  pair  of  saddle¬ 
bags.  Planters  from  the  other  provinces  about  San  Jos6 
ride  these  little  ponies  into  town,  purchase  their  supplies, 
stuff  the  packages  into  the  plethoric  saddle-bags,  and  are 
off  at  a  gallop.  In  the  centre  of  the  market-house  are 
the  stalls  of  the  smaller  traders,  some  selling  rope  bridles 
and  bags,  others  red  pottery  and  cheap  food  cooked  over 
a  charcoal  brazier.  These  people  are  under  good  disci¬ 
pline  ;  there  is  nothing  to  keep  the  most  refined  person 
from  enjoying  the  amusing  sight.  The  peon  women  have 
gowns  of  muslin  or  calico,  and  wear  petticoats,  rebozos, 
and  very  often  Panama  hats.  The  men  of  this  class  are 
mostly  hard-working  farmers,  owners  of  small  coffee  plan¬ 
tations  or  oxen  and  ox-carts. 

Americans  are  popular  in  Costa  Rica,  and  the  native 
peon  and  city  man  will  always  put  himself  out  to  make 
the  visitor  have  a  good  time.  The  salesmen  do  not 
importune  you  or  get  in  the  way,  as  they  do  in  Tunis 
or  Algiers,  but  with  a  certain  kind  of  decent  reserve 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


61 

await  your  favorable  notice.  They  are  used  to  the  sight  * 
of  passing  strangers,  and  one  is  not  stared  at  or  made 
uncomfortable.  This  is  a  very  noticeable  trait  in  the 
Costa  Rican,  and  cannot  be  too  highly  commended. 

The  little  popular  theatre,  patronized  by  the  lower 
and  middle  class  people  of  San  Jose,  is  an  interesting 
place  to  visit  of  an  evening.  Seating  about  five  hundred 
people,  it  assumes  to  give  twice  a  week  a  “  zarzula” 
and  comic  opera.  The  actors  and  actresses  (all  Span¬ 
ish)  are  usually  recruited  from  some  travelling  company 
from  Spain,  who  regularly  visit  San  Jose  on  the  circuit 
of  the  South  and  Central  American  republics.  They  do 
some  very  good  work,  and  the  Spanish  national  dances 
are  given  with  spirit  and  truth. 

On  Sunday,  and  other  days  during  the  week,  the  regi¬ 
mental  band  of  the  guard  discourses  sweet  music  in  the 
principal  parks.  The  citizens  of  San  Jose,  with  their 
wives  and  daughters,  usually  attend  these  concerts  in  large 
numbers,  walking  along  the  shaded  paths  in  an  endless 
procession,  and  greeting  their  friends  and  acquaintances, 
the  ladies  wearing  white  dresses  and  the  popular  silk 
shawls  thrown  over  the  head,  each  shawl  of  a  different 
color  —  scarlet,  black,  white,  yellow,  pink,  light  blue, 
orange,  and  purple  seeming  to  be  the  favorite  colors. 

Once  a  month,  at  the  principal  band  stand  in  the  park, 


6  2 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


the  state  lottery  is  drawn  for  the  benefit  of  the  local 
hospital.  Often  one  hears  of  a  morning  the  band  crash 
out  the  beautiful  national  air,  and  on  hunting  up  the 
sound  you  find  the  city  guard  of  regular  troops  parading 
at  guard  mount  in  the  central  park.  Sunday  morning  we 
visited  the  Cathedral,  and  heard  the  solemn  and  high  mass 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church ;  in  the  evening  (when 
there  is  given  a  processional,  which  escorts  the  Host 
through  the  aisles  of  the  Cathedral),  the  lighted  candles 
carried  by  the  devotees,  the  clouds  of  rising  incense, 
blurring  and  joining  in  a  mass  of  brilliant  color  the 
dresses  of  the  kneeling  women,  recalled,  in  a  measure, 
the  majestic  ceremonials  seen  some  thirty  years  ago  by 
the  author  at  St.  Peter's  in  Rome. 

* 

The  National  Theatre,  San  Jose,  Costa 
Rica,  C.  A. 

This  noble  building,  erected  in  1890-1897,  at  the  cost 
of  S  1,200,000  gold,  outshines  any  other  theatre  in  the 
Western  hemisphere.  For  perfection  of  detail  and  wealth 
of  decorations,  there  is  not  a  building  of  any  description 
except,  possibly,  the  Boston  Public  Library  and  the  Con¬ 
gressional  Library  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  that  can  even 
approach  it.  This  is  claiming  a  great  deal,  but  the 
unassailable  preeminence  of  this  building  is  admitted  with- 


The  Plain  of  San  Jose. 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


63 


out  question  as  one  ascends  to  the  majestic  foyer.  Very 
few  palaces  in  France  or  Italy  can  vie  with  the  beautiful 
harmony  and  delicate  gray,  gold,  and  white  marble  effect 
displayed  in  the  foyer  of  the  theatre.  The  ceiling  of  the 
foyer  is  decorated  by  Signor  Professor  V.  Bignami  of 
Milan,  Italy,  with  three  designs,  —  the  centre,  Music;  on 
each  side,  the  Dance  and  Poetry.  This  room  is  lighted 
by  15  windows;  the  length  of  the  foyer  is  22  metres 
long,  12  metres  wide,  and  9  metres  high. 

Opening  from  the  foyer  is  the  private  reception  room 
of  the  president  of  the  republic  of  Costa  Rica,  magnifi¬ 
cently  decorated  and  kept  in  most  perfect  condition,  with 
covers  over  the  gold  and  velvet  brdcaded  chairs.  The 
ceiling  of  the  president’s  room  is  decorated  by  Signor 
Ferrareo  of  Milan,  Italy,  the  subject  being  Comedy. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  the  building  is 
lighted  throughout  by  electricity,  two  dynamos  being  held 
in  readiness  in  an  adjoining  building.  The  stage  is  a 
marvel  of  perfection,  the  massive  walls  and  iron  girders 
are  a  surprise  to  the  Northern  eye.  A  large  pipe  organ, 
two  small  organs,  and  a  piano  are  for  use  behind  the  cur¬ 
tain.  Leaving  the  foyer  reluctantly,  one  passes  on  to 
the  boxes,  and  the  president’s  box  is  in  the  centre,  deco¬ 
rated  and  furnished  in  red  brocaded  silk  velvet;  over  the 
seat  of  the  president,  upon  the  ceiling  of  the  box,  there 


64 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


is  a  fine  fresco  of  Justice.  On  the  ground  floor  the  vesti¬ 
bule  opens  out  on  both  sides  from  the  entrance  doors ; 
there  are  placed  here  the  ladies’  and  gentlemen’s  res¬ 
taurants,  one  on  the  left,  the  other  on  the  right,  each 
decorated  and  gilded  in  a  most  fascinating  manner,  solid 
mahogany  carving  being  i it  evidence  on  all  sides.  The 
marble  statues  of  Comedy  and  Tragedy  are  placed  on 
each  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  stairs  leading  to  the 
foyer.  In  the  gentlemen’s  restaurant  the  ceiling  is  deco¬ 
rated  by  a  fresco  of  Apollo  and  the  Muses.  The  theatre 
seats  1000  persons  with  250  orchestra  seats.  Though 
the  officials  of  the  theatre  report  a  seating  capacity  of 
1000,  still  there  is  much  space  that  could  be  utilized  to 
swell  the  audience  to  fully  2000;  but  good  taste  prevails 
here,  as  in  all  things,  and  the  seats  are  well  arranged 
with  plenty  of  space  for  comfort.  There  are  three 
galleries,  each  tier  with  a  different  set  of  decorations 
in  white  and  gold.  The  general  effect  of  the  whole 
building  is  white  and  gold  ;  Italian  marble  is  used  in 
every  case.  The  floor  of  the  auditorium  can  be  lifted 
to  the  level  of  the  stage  by  hydraulic  pressure ; 
this  is  often  done,  notably  at  the  grand  ball  celebrating 
the  anniversary  of  the  independence  of  Costa  Rica,  which 
was  held  the  15th  day  of  September  some  years  ago. 
The  ceiling  of  the  auditorium,  surrounding  a  central  crys- 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


65 


tal  cluster  of  electric  lights,  is  decorated  in  fresco  by 
Signor  Fontana,  an  Italian  artist.  It  was  painted  in  [897, 
and  represents  an  allegory  of  Comedy,  Tragedy,  and 
Music.  The  subtile  taste  displayed  in  restraining  from 
any  too  elaborate  decoration  of  the  auditorium  is  the  key¬ 
note  of  the  building,  and  cannot  be  too  highly  praised. 

The  National  Theatre  is  under  the  distinguished  man¬ 
agement  and  expert  direction  of  Signor  Christoforo'  Moli- 
nari,  to  whose  taste  was  referred  much  of  the  decision 
as  to  the  final  decoration  of  the  building. 


The  National  Museum 

The  National  Museum  of  San  Jose  has  a  magnificent 
collection  of  antiquities  and  examples  of  the  fauna,  flora, 
insects,  molluscs,  etc.,  of  Costa  Rica  displayed  in  a  build¬ 
ing  hardly  suitable  to  the  collection  or  creditable  to  the 
state. 

Under  the  distinguished  direction  and  management  of 
Senor  Don  Juan  F.  Ferraz,  the  National  Museum  has 
taken  on  a  new  life,  and  the  publications  of  the  museum 
have  been  received  and  noted  by  all  the  national  museums 
and  societies  the  world  over.  The  University  of  Penn¬ 
sylvania,  U.  S.  A.,  has  lately  received  from  the  National 
Museum  of  Costa  Rica  93  pieces  of  pottery,  stone  idols, 
bows,  spears,  etc. 


66 


THE  GOI.DEN  CARIBBEAN 


The  National  Museum  publishes  (in  Spanish)  annually 
many  pamphlets  and  books  upon  the  antiquities  and  fauna 
of  Costa  Rica,  notably:  “The  Molluscs  of  Costa  Rica,” 
by  Senor  Don  P.  Biolley ;  “The  Flora  of  Costa  Rica,” 
by  Senor  Don  Adolfe  Tenduz,  1897;  “The  Fauna  of 
Costa  Rica,”  by  C.  F.  Underwood,  Esq.,  1897;  “The  Antiq¬ 
uities  of  Costa  Rica,”  by  Senor  Don  Anastasio  Alfaro, 
1896;  and  “The  Insects  of  Costa  Rica,”  by  Senor  Don 
J.  Fid.  Tristan,  1897.  The  reports  of  the  director  of  the 
museum  are  published  annually. 

On  the  ground  floor  of  the  National  Museum  will  be 
found  rare  examples  of  the  pottery  of  Costa  Rica  in  splen¬ 
did  preservation,  largely  excavated  about  the  Irazu  volcano, 
province  of  Cartago.  In  the  corridor  at  the  southern  end 
of  the  building  a  full  collection  of  sections  of  the  valuable 
woods  of  Costa  Rica  is  arranged  with  taste.  On  the  walls 
of  these  rooms  hang  some  well-executed  portraits  of  the 
natives  of  Costa  Rica.  Continuing  on  to  the  end  of  the 
garden,  in  the  rear  of  the  museum,  we  come  to  a  collection 
of  wild  animals  and  birds  of  Costa  Rica,  alive  in  their 
cages.  Ascending  a  staircase  on  the  right  of  the  main 
entrance  door,  we  find  grouped  on  the  upper  floor  all  the 
beautiful  specimens  of  the  fauna  of  the  country  encased 
and  mounted  by  the  taxidermist  of  the  museum,  Mr.  C.  F. 
Underwood.  The  jaguar,  coyote,  iguana,  etc.,  were  originally 


Antique  Indian  Costa  Rican  Pottery. 


COSTA  RICA,  C.  A. 


67 


arranged  by  Mr.  Underwood  for  the  Guatemalan  Exposi¬ 
tion  in  1897.  In  the  other  rooms,  on  the  ground  floor, 
are  placed  huge  monoliths  and  tables  of  stone  found  at 
El  Guayabo,  Turialba. 

The  stone  table  is  a  fine  specimen  of  the  carving  of  the 
ancient  inhabitants  of  Costa  Rica;  the  edges  are  orna¬ 
mented  by  carved  tiger  heads  arranged  in  groups  of  three, 
and  it  is  75  centimetres  in  diameter  and  40  centimetres 
high.  In  cases  under  glass  may  be  studied  knives  of 
stone,  found  in  Santa  Cruz  in  the  province  of  Guanacaste. 
Some  of  these  stone  knives  are  made  of  jade,  others 
of  greenstone.  There  are  some  delicate-pointed  stones, 
which  look  like  obsidian  and  were  probably  used  for 
engraving  purposes. 

The  director,  Senor  Ferraz,  will  be  glad  to  show  to 
visitors  the  valuable  and  artistic  collection  of  gold  orna¬ 
ments  discovered  in  the  province  of  Cartago  and  elsewhere. 
The  writer  noted  an  ornament  of  gold  representing  an 
eagle  with  outstretched  wings,  the  neck  articulated  ;  this 
piece  is  by  far  the  finest  example  of  prehistoric  Indian 
jewellery  in  the  world.  The  collection  is  very  .large  and 
complete. 

Adios,  San  Jose,  hermosa  ciudad, 
simpatica  y  bella  !  Oue  Dios 
bendiga  tu  suerte  y  haga  tu  felicidad  ! 


CHAPTER  IX 


Ba^ai^a  Qultun?  ii)  ^osta  I^i<;a 


'CCORDING  to  the  report  (1895)  upon  banana  cul¬ 
ture  in  Costa  Rica  by  the  statistical  department 
of  Costa  Rica,  the  exportation  to  the  United  States, 
through  Port  Limon,  of  green  bananas  (between  t  lie 
years  1886  and  1895)  amounted  to  nearly  10,000,000 
bunches.  In  the  year  1896,  1,692,10 2  bunches  were  ex¬ 
ported,  or  56,000  tons.  At  the  present  time  (1900),  over 
3,000,000  bunches  of  bananas  are  exported  each  year 
from  Port  Limon  alone  to  New  Orleans  and  New  York 
by  the  United  Fruit  Company.  From  Jamaica,  in  1 893— 
1894,  there  were  exported  5,162,000  bunches  of  bananas 
by  the  predecessors  of  the  United  Fruit  Company  (now 
consolidated  with  them).  The  whole  export  trade  in 
bananas  from  the  coasts  of  Central  and  South  America, 
Cuba,  San  Domingo,  Hayti,  and  Jamaica  is  controlled  by 
the  United  P'ruit  Company,  with  the  company  owning 
the  majority  of  the  banana  plantations  in  these  countries. 
The  36  steamers  of  the  New  Orleans  division,  and  the 


68 


BANANA  CULTURE  IN  COSTA  RICA 


69 


29  steamers  of  the  northern  division  of  this  company, 
convey  the  fruit  to  the  United  States. 

The  cultivation  of  bananas  in  Costa  Rica  was  begun 
on  the  Atlantic  coast  in  1879.  The  first  360  bunches 
of  bananas  which  were  exported  to  the  United  States 
on  February  7,  1880,  by  the  steamer  Earnholm  from  Port 
Union  to  New  York,  proved  that  bananas  would  become 
a  new  source  of  wealth  to  the  country,  and  the  govern¬ 
ment  promptly  ceded  liberal  grants  of  land  to  those  who 
were  willing  to  develop  the  industry. 

In  1888  there  were  61  banana  plantations  and  a  large 
number  of  smaller  ones. 

There  are  30  or  more  varieties  of  the  banana,  and  being 
of  the  lily  family  there  are  many  other  plants  resem¬ 
bling  it.  The  plantain,  or  “platano,”  should  not  be  con¬ 
founded  with  the  banana;  although  of  more  value  than 
the  banana,  it  has  never  been  exported.  Plantains 
serve  as  national  bread,  even  where  flour  and  tortillas 
are  in  use.  This  fruit  will  fatten  hogs  and  make  hens 
produce  eggs,  while  the  banana  would  only  keep  pigs 
and  poultry  from  starving.  The  plantain  resembles  the 
banana  somewhat  in  color  and  shape,  but  is  much  larger  ; 
the  plant  also  is  very  similar.  The  plantain  is  not  eaten 
raw  like  the  banana,  but  is  always  cooked. 

A  regular  banana  steamer,  of  1000  tons  dead  weight 


7o 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


capacity,  will  carry  anywhere  from  13,000  to  19,000  bunches 
of  bananas.  The  bananas  are  assorted  into  three  classes. 
The  No.  1  bunch  counts  from  9  hands  upward,  each  hand 
counts  from  15  to  20  fingers,  or  separate  fruits,  making 

a  No.  1  bunch  count  about  175  to  300  bananas.  The 

bananas  are  loaded  on  the  steamers,  —  usually  at  night, 
though  the  hour  of  arrival  of  the  steamer  usually  settles 
the  matter,  —  the  bunches  being  taken  from  the  cars  on 
the  wharf  and  placed  on  a  steam  loader,  which  has  an 
endless  chain  covered  with  canvas.  The  loading  is  done 
very  quickly,  a  checker  and  assistant  on  the  wharf  noting 
the  passing  bunches  in  groups  of  ten.  The  steam  neces¬ 
sary  for  running  the  steam  loaders  (of  which  there  are  two) 
is  supplied  by  each  steamer  from  its  own  boiler. 

The  plantations  of  the  United  Fruit  Company  are 
located  near  the  railroad  lines  running  to  Guapiles,  Banana 

River,  and  Zent  River,  thus  saving  labor  and  expense 

for  transportation  and  too  much  handling  of  the  fruit. 
The  lands  chosen  for  the  production  of  the  banana  are 
those  that  contain  extensive  alluvial  deposits,  and  rich 
in  decomposed  vegetable  matter;  but  the  best  lands  are 
those  on  the  margins  of  the  rivers,  or  river  bottom 
lands  which  have  been  formed  from  the  rich  silt  brought 
down  by  the  floods.  The  plantations  are  inundated  two 
or  three  times  a  year  from  the  overflow  of  the  rivers, 


BANANA  CULTURE  IN  COSTA  RICA 


71 


which  deposit  five  or  six  inches  of  new  silt,  and  the  earth 
is  therefore  continually  fertilized.  These  lands  have  a 
gravel  foundation,  and  are  thus  well  drained  and  acceptable 
for  the  cultivation  of  the  banana. 


A  BANANA  PLANTATION 


The  trees,  or,  strictly  speaking,  plants,  are  planted  from 
20  to  30  feet  apart,  in  the  form  of  squares  when  20  feet, 
and  when  30  feet  the  rows  are  1 5  feet  apart. 

It  is  generally  at  the  end  of  nine  months  that  the 
plants  mature,  and  after  that  time  the  fruit  can  be  gath¬ 
ered  every  week  in  the  year ;  but  a  new  proportion  of 
virgin  land  must  be  brought  under  cultivation  to  keep 
up  to  the  average  the  regular  production  of  fruit.  The 


72 


THK  (iOI-DKN  CARIBBEAN 


weight  of  a  No.  i  bunch  of  bananas  from  Banana  River 
or  Bocas  del  Toro  is  sometimes  over  ioo  pounds.  The 
average  weight  is  about  55  pounds.  A  horse  will  (ac¬ 
cording  to  weight)  carry  on  each  trip  from  four  to  six 
bunches. 


Fresh  From  the  Plantation. 


CHAPTER  X 


El  Salvador 

T  the  head  of  the  “  Old  Line  ”  of  the  Costa  Rica  rail¬ 
road,  which  has  been  built  for  20  years,  one  leaves 
the  railroad  station  at  Guapiles  and  approaches  the 
hacienda  of  El  Salvador  (property  of  the  United  Fruit 
Company),  through  a  beautiful  avenue  of  royal  palms  and 
cocoanut  trees,  enriched  with  the  scarlet  leaves  of 
crotons,  and  shaded  by  orange  and  lemon  trees.  From 
the  piazza  of  the  house  an  uninterrupted  view  of  broad 
pastures  opens  out  toward  the  north,  the  distant  hills 
lost  in  purple  mist.  The  United  Fruit  Company  employ  a 
first-class  butter-maker  at  this  pen,  as  it  would  be  called 
in  Jamaica.  The  writer  noticed  the  enormous  quantity  of 
manure  going  to  waste.  Of  course  the  land  is  exceed¬ 
ingly  rich,  needing  no  manure  to  give  good  results  ;  but 
there  are  many  uses  that  this  rich  fertilizer  can  be  put 
to.  A  practical  market  gardener  would  see  unlimited 
profit  and  opportunity  in  Costa  Rican  markets  for  high- 
class  vegetables,  the  gardens  being  enriched  with  refuse 
bananas  rejected  at  the  track  benches  and  added  to  by 


73 


74 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


the  manure  of  the  stables.  Lettuce,  beets,  melons,  rad¬ 
ishes,  cucumbers,  etc.,  would  grow  luxuriantly  here.  The 
most  of  these  vegetables,  with  few  exceptions,  at  present 
are  of  an  inferior  quality  in  local  markets. 

El  Salvador  is  a  plantation  of  3000  acres  (1800  man- 
zanas),  with  100  manzanas  given  over  to  the  cultivation 


GRAZING  IN  THE  TROPICS 

of  bananas  by  26  laborers  and  ploughmen.  The  planta¬ 
tion  holds  3000  head  of  cattle,  in  three  divisions. 

The  semi-annual  stock  taking,  or  rather  the  counting, 
sorting,  and  inspection  of  the  bulls,  cows,  steers,  calves, 
and  horse  kind  of  the  farm,  had  just  commenced  at  El 
Salvador  upon  the  arrival  of  the  writer.  Under  the 
superintendence  of  Mr.  Thomas  Kissock,  the  manager, 
the  three  different  herds,  each  in  turn,  were  driven 
through  various  gates,  by  three  expert  Costa  Rican  cow- 


EL  SALVADOR 


75 


boys  toward  the  principal  pen,  the  bulls  bellowing  and 
the  cows  lowing-  in  defence  of  their  young  sucking  calves. 
The  cowboys  dashed  recklessly,  but  with  fine  precision, 
about  the  broad  fields,  calling,  cursing,  and  expostulating 
with  backward  cow  or  stubborn  heifer.  The  horses  the 
cowboys  rode  were  under  splendid  training  and  discipline, 
inclining  here  and  there  with  marvellous  swiftness  and 
sure-footedness  over  the  broken  ground,  fording  brooks 
in  a  burst  of  spray,  and  spattering  the  mud  in  every 
direction,  the  cowboys  giving  their  peculiar  cry  of  “Vaca, 
vaca  ”  ;  and  with  much  waving  of  hats,  hot  expostula¬ 
tions,  and  deep  guttural  exclamations  the  bewildered  herds 
were  soon  driven  on,  one  by  one,  past  the  vigilant  eye  of 
the  manager;  sick  or  diseased  animals  —  few  in  number, 
by  the  bye  —  were  cut  out  from  the  crowd,  thrown  by  a 
twist  of  the  neck  to  the  ground,  and  an  examination  of 
the  ills  that  cow  flesh  is  heir  to  occupying  but  a  few 
moments  in  each  case.  About  six  fine  saddle-horses  are 
in  constant  use,  and,  as  is  usual  with  all  Costa  Rican 
horses,  are  guided  by  the  reins  pressed  against  the  neck  ; 
they  change  their  easy  running  gait  to  the  gallop,  the  trot, 
and  the  lope  as  required.  A  commissary  house  near  the 
railroad  station,  well  stocked  and  ably  managed,  forms  one 
of  the  many  sources  of  revenue  of  the  plantation.  Here 
the  Jamaican  laborer  buys  his  machete,  boots,  lanterns, 


7  6 


I'HE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


saddles,  cotton  goods,  groceries,  liquid  goods,  etc.,  at  rea¬ 
sonable  prices,  principally  paid  for  by  the  men  in  checks 
on  their  monthly  account. 

A  large  bath-house,  through  which  dashes  a  cool  and 
agreeable  stream  of  water,  is  one  of  the  many  comforts  of 
the  hacienda  El  Salvador. 


La  Emilia 

The  plantation  of  La  Emilia,  now  the  property  of  the 
United  Fruit  Company,  was  formerly  owned  by  Mr.  Minor 
C.  Keith  for  14  years ;  it  is  within  one  and  a  half 
miles  from  El  Salvador,  and  has  about  the  same  number 
of  acres.  Manager  Kissock  finishes  most  of  his  fat  cattle 
and  breeding  stock  here.  Over  these  broad  acres,  with 
good  horses,  we  went,  fording  two  streams ;  flocks  of 
screaming  green  parrots  cross  our  path,  huge  guava 
trees  draped  with  Spanish  moss  and  hanging  vines  grace 
the  landscape.  We  find  a  pleasant  situation  for  the 
house  of  the  manager,  who  sometimes  resides  here,  and 
has  a  liking  for  rare  orchids,  which  flower  on  the  veranda. 
The  Turialba  volcano  is  in  sight  from  the  house,  and 
the  prevailing  winds  are  mostly  from  the  southeast ;  the 
rain  in  the  afternoon  comes  from  the  mountains,  in 
the  morning  from  the  eastward. 


Ruins  of  Church  at  Orosi— Costa  Rica 


EL  SALVADOR 


77 


The  Banana  River  Plantation 

THE  UNITED  FRUIT  COMPANY 

A  branch  railroad  runs  about  14  miles  through  the  cocoa- 
nut  trees  and  banana  plants,  and  as  the  train  skirts  the  beach 
the  roar  of  the  breakers  pounding  on  the  yellow  sand  fills 
one’s  ears.  There  are  about  50,000  cocoanut  trees  along  this 
shore.  Just  beyond  VVestfalia  station  commences  the  Banana 
River  Plantation  :  there  are  at  least  1200  acres  of  bananas, 
and  between  the  rows  there  are  many  cacao  trees  (chocolate), 
the  land  being  peculiarly  suitable  for  cacao.  The  railroad  is 
shortly  to  be  extended  through  the  property ;  at  present 
there  is  about  12  miles  of  a  3  ft.  6  in.  gauge  track  running 
close  to  the  sea,  about  halfway  it  branches  inland  and 
extends  toward  the  distant  range  of  Talamanca,  which  rises 
to  the  south.  There  is  good  hunting  in  the  season  :  deer, 
alligators,  monkeys,  and  ducks,  and  farther  back,  near  the 
mountains,  jaguars  or  spotted  tigers,  also  the  puma  (Ameri¬ 
can  lion)  and  panthers  can  be  shot  ;  there  is  occasionally  a 
fine  skin  that  can  be  purchased  at  some  of  the  stores  on 
the  line.  The  tigers  are  shot  by  the  Indians  on  the  Banana 
River  about  1 5  miles  from  the  terminal  of  the  railroad,  and 
they  bring  the  skins  to  the  shopkeepers  who  sell  supplies. 
The  Costa  Rica  government  allows  one  shot-gun  or  rifle  to 
each  traveller  entering  Costa  Rica,  but  the  rifle  must  be 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


78 

a  sporting  rifle,  and  not  a  Mauser.  The  ride  on  the  railroad 
is  a  very  interesting  one  ;  from  the  car  platform  as  the  train 
proceeds  numerous  chances  can  be  had  to  practise  with 
revolvers  on  hawks,  alligators,  and  monkeys.  The  country 
that  the  railroad  passes  through  is  about  the  wildest  on  the 
coast  and  gives  the  traveller  the  best  idea  of  tropical  nature 
in  its  most  retiring  moods. 

O 


BANANA  TRAIN 


Zent  Farm  and  Plantations 

From  the  junction  of  the  railroad  at  La  Junta,  a  branch 
line  extends  for  eight  miles  to  the  Zent  Plantations  of 
the  United  Fruit  Company,  consisting  of :  — 


Chiripo 

Boston 

Sterling 

Victoria 

Zent 


1000  manzanas. 
1200  manzanas. 
250  manzanas. 
500  manzanas. 
1000  manzanas. 


EL  SALVADOR 


79 


Zent  is  very  valuable  and  extensive  property ;  there  are 
700  to  800  men  employed  in  the  cultivation  of  the  finest 
banana  lands  that  are  owned  by  the  United  Fruit  Company. 
Zent  has  the  reputation  of  being  very  unhealthy,  but  in  only 
isolated  instances  did  the  writer  note  any  signs  of  malarial 
sickness  ;  this  is  now  being  counteracted  by  changes  in  the 
situation  of  the  homes  of  the  employees. 

The  plantations  are  50  feet  above  the  sea,  and  certainly 
those  farms  on  the  banks  of  the  river  could  not  be  in  a  more 
beautiful  and  healthy  situation.  There  is  now  under  con¬ 
struction  20  miles  of  railroad  called  the  Limon  extension, 
destined  to  open  the  plantations  and  make  them  more  in 
direct  touch  with  the  steamers.  The  railroad  has  two 
engines  and  many  cars  to  assist  the  rapid  transit  of  the  fruit. 
Mr.  William.  H.  Kyes,  the  manager,  considers  that  plough¬ 
ing  is  a  waste  of  time  here,  the  ground  being  so  rich,  and 
cleaning  and  cutting  away  the  stumps  is  all  that  is  neces¬ 
sary  for  good  results  ;  the  managers  of  the  plantations  on  the 
“  Old  Line  ”  are  of  a  different  mind,  however. 

The  50  horse  kind  on  the  plantation  are  not  eating  their 
heads  off  by  any  means  in  the  stables.  Toward  the  west 
the  Turialba  volcano  looms  up,  forming  a  purple  shadow  at 
evening  ;  the  plantations  resting  at  the  base  of  the  range  of 
mountains  which  extend  to  the  sea. 


8o 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


Colombian  a 

THE  UNITED  FRUIT  COMPANY 

This  plantation,  consisting  of  1000  acres,  is  situated  on 
the  old  line  of  railroad  about  halfway  to  Guapiles. 

Under  the  efficient  management  of  Mr.  Arthur,  the 
banana  cultivation  is  carried  to  its  highest  point  ;  thorough 
cultivation  between  rows  by  eight  teams  of  mules  with 
ploughs  render  the  fruit  taken  from  this  plantation  hard  to 
equal.  One  meets  old-fashioned  Southern  hospitality  here 
upon  visiting  this  beautiful  and  interesting  spot ;  planta¬ 
tion  life  is  seen  in  all  its  charm.  Mr.  Arthur  has  two 
fine  turkey-cocks,  great  pets  of  the  family,  who  are  trained 
to  cheer  for  Admiral  Schley  and  General  Wheeler.  Mr. 
Arthur  calls  the  turkeys  to  him  and  says,  “  Now,  boys, 
cheer  for  Schley.”  “Gobble,  gobble,  gobble,”  call  the 
turkeys.  “Now  for  General  Wheeler.”  “Gobble,  gobble, 
gobble,”  repeat  the  prize  birds,  and  they  strut  about  in 
conscious  knowledge  of  their  beauty  and  intelligence. 

The  hacienda  of  Mrs.  Arnold  is  situated  on  a  command¬ 
ing  eminence  350  feet  above  Port  Limon  and  about  one 
mile  from  the  market-place.  The  farm  contains  about 
1000  manzanas  :  250  manzanas  in  bananas,  100  manzanas  in 
cacao  (chocolate),  the  balance  consisting  of  primeval  woods 
and  undeveloped  land.  A  few  hundred  feet  from  the 


VW  v\Y*^\^)l  svvvtv^ . 


Indian  Woman -  Costa  Rica 


EL  SALVADOR 


81 


house  is  an  elevation  looking  out  over  Limon  and  the 
distant  sea.  Here  is  an  ideal  situation  for  a  first-class 
hotel.  The  air  is  pure  and  fresh,  the  grounds  and  gar¬ 
dens  already  prepared  at  the  expense  of  thousands  of 
dollars.  Every  variety  of  croton,  beautiful  specimens  of 
cocoanuts,  cacao,  rubber  trees,  cactus,  oranges,  and  limes  — 
surely  here  is  a  fine  investment  for  Northern  capitalists. 
A  first-class  hotel,  similar  to  the  Titchfield  House,  Port 
Antonio,  Jamaica,  would  undoubtedly  succeed  here.  The 
cacao,  or  chocolate,  tree  flourishes  on  this  plantation 
under  the  very  best  of  conditions,  the  color  of  the  pod 
when  ripe  being  a  brilliant  orange-yellow;  heaps  of  cacao 
in  the  pod  may  be  seen  in  the  season  lying  by  the  road, 
ready  to  be  transported  to  the  house.  The  plantation,  in 
addition,  has  some  7000  young  cocoanut  trees.  The  cacao 
(chocolate)  harvest  gives  two  crops  a  year,  and  in  the  one 
month  of  November  the  plantation  clears  40  cwt.  of  cacao. 
The  beans  are  in  a  compact  form,  36  to  40  to  the  pod, 
and  surrounded  by  a  white  and  acid-tasting  jelly  which 
makes  the  far-famed  cacao  butter.  The  crop  of  cacao  from 
Mrs.  Arnold’s  plantation  is  sent  exclusively  to  England. 
The  cacao  takes  six  years  to  mature,  but  bears  at  three 
years  old.  The  average  crop  is  quoted  at  two  pounds  per 
tree.  Costa  Rica  cacao  cannot  be  purchased  under  40 
cents  gold  per  pound,  being  of  such  excellent  quality. 


82 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


The  cacao  bean  (theobroma)  contains  the 

following 

stituents  :  — 

Cacao  butter . 

50  parts. 

Albuminoid  substances . 

20  parts. 

Starch  sugar,  etc.  ...... 

13  parts. 

Salts  ......... 

4  parts. 

Other  substances  ...... 

13  parts. 

A  most  enjoyable  and  novel  horseback  ride  can  be  taken 
through  this  property,  which  extends  from  two  to  four  miles 
along  the  edge  of  the  sea.  As  one  rides  through  several 
miles  of  bananas  and  cacao,  gradually  the  bananas  are  left 
behind  and  you  enter  the  primeval  tropical  forest,  dense, 
gloomy,  shot  with  bars  of  vivid  sunlight  ;  occasionally  the 
bark  of  a  distant  baboon  or  the  shriek  of  an  angry  parrot 
is  the  only  sound  which  breaks  the  silence  of  nature.  The 
enormous  trees  towering  to  the  sky,  covered  with  vines 
and  orchids,  shut  out  the  sun,  and  this  part  of  the  ride 
will  be  thoroughly  appreciated,  as  the  trees  act  as  an 
enormous  umbrella. 

An  hour’s  ride  brings  the  party  to  the  edge  of  the  sea, 
where  a  small  but  safe  harbor  has  been  planned,  the 
entrance  and  harbor  being  masked  by  a  small  island  which 
forms  an  excellent  breakwater.  A  beautiful  sandy  beach 
half  a  mile  long  should  be  mentioned,  as  it  constitutes  a 
valuable  addition  to  the  property ;  and  a  practicable  road 


EL  SALVADOR 


83 

from  Port  Limon  to  this  harbor  would  go  far  toward 
developing  this  gem  of  Costa  Rica. 

The  Las  Mesas  Coffee  Estates,  Ld. 

The  Las  Mesas  Coffee  Plantation  is  situated  about  3600 
feet  above  the  sea,  and  is  a  flag  station  on  the  Costa  Rica 
railroad.  There  are  about  250  manzanas  in  coffee,  and 
some  50  manzanas  in  sugar  for  the  manufacture  of  dulce. 
The  company  have  a  grand  situation  south  of  Turialba, 
250  feet  above  the  railroad. 

The  works  for  preparing  the  coffee  for  shipment  is 
within  100  yards  of  the  railroad  ;  below  these  buildings 
can  be  seen  other  broad  vistas  of  coffee  belonging  to  the 
company,  which,  by  the  way,  is  a  close  corporation  of  a 
limited  number  of  stockholders,  principally  Canadian  capi¬ 
talists. 

From  the  station  of  the  railroad  a  winding  road  passes 
up  the  cliff,  which  is  250  feet  high,  connecting  the 
hacienda  and  northern  half  of  the  estate  with  the  south¬ 
ern  half.  Coffee  is  seen  here  in  different  stages  of 
growth  —  from  the  little  tender  shoot  just  budding  from 
the  ground,  to  grand  masses  of  the  trees  12  to  14  feet 
high,  and  from  a  few  days  old  to  four  years  of  age.  The 
lower  portion  of  the  estate  below  the  drying  patios  is  in 
the  shape  of  an  oval,  acres  in  extent,  and  surrounded  by 


84 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


the  great  purple  ridges  of  the  mountains,  marking  the 
course  of  the  Reventazon  River. 

All  the  processes  of  preparing  the  coffee  for  the  mar¬ 
ket  can  be  seen  here  to  perfection  with  the  most  modern 
machinery,  consisting  of  pulpers  and  dryers,  and  washing 
tanks  for  separating  the  berries  from  the  husk  ;  all 
arranged  with  the  idea  for  economizing  labor,  the  berry 
not  being  touched  by  the  hand  after  it  has  been  stripped 
from  the  tree  until  it  is  bagged  ready  for  the  American 
market.  A  visit  to  this  interesting  property,  via  San 
Jose,  will  well  repay  the  visitor  to  Costa  Rica. 

Plantation  Life 

Many  of  the  plantations  are  widely  separated  from  the 
centre  of  law  and  order,  lost  in  the  dense  forests  of  the 
hot  belt,  and  far  from  fresh  supplies  of  food.  Naturally, 
there  is  little  central  authority  ;  it  is  usually  vested  in  the 
“  mandador,”  or  manager  of  the  property,  who  is  some¬ 
times  a  local  judge  of  the  district. 

The  Jamaican  negro  seldom  gives  any  trouble;  he  is 
usually  respectful  and  reasonable  if  rightly  managed. 
There  are,  of  course,  exceptions ;  usually  these  are  men 
who  have  a  little  smattering  of  law,  and  stand  strictly  on 
their  rights  (as  they  conceive  them)  as  British  subjects, 
and  bluster  at  any  opening  given  them. 


A  Plantation  Laborer 


EL  SALVADOR 


35 


At  the  hacienda,  the  managers  of  the  different  divisions 
of  the  plantation  meet  at  meals  and  dine  together  in  com¬ 
pany,  the  food  consisting  of  canned  goods,  hot  bread,  fresh 
milk,  yams,  eggs,  plantains,  and  occasionally  venison,  the 
conversation  at  table  consisting  of  jokes  at  one  another’s 
expense,  the  victim  bearing  it  with  commendable  patience, 
and  retorting  with  fluency.  The  rooms  in  which  the  men 
sleep,  on  the  second  floor  (usually  with  a  chum),  are  com¬ 
fortable,  clean,  and  homelike.  The  veranda  on  the  ground 
floor  is  large  and  spacious,  littered  with  saddles,  riding 
leggins,  boots,  and  spurs,  or  packages  of  goods. 

In  the  evening,  when  there  may  be  ladies  present,  the 
musical  genius  brings  out  his  guitar  and  keeps  his  audi¬ 
ence  enthralled  for  hours.  Spanish  songs,  negro  ragtime, 
latest  operas,  soar  out  into  the  tropical  night  and  cause  the 
crowd  of  humble  retainers  in  the  yard  to  chuckle  in  sym¬ 
pathy  and  delight.  Early  every  morning,  by  6  a.m.  at  least, 
each  overseer  departs  on  his  little  high-spirited  horse  to 
make  his  rounds,  looking  up  the  different  gangs  of  work¬ 
men,  directing  their  work,  and  taking  stock  of  the  planta¬ 
tion  on  the  hoof.  To  accompany  any  one  of  the  managers 
on  their  inspection  tour  is  an  experience  in  itself.  They 
are  tireless  and  exact  in  the  fulfilment  of  their  duties,  and 
receive  with  complacency  any  praises  from  the  Northern 
visitor  as  to  the  fine  condition  of  their  division. 


86 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


These  men  are  of  a  simple  and  steady  habit  (as  they 
have  to  be,  or  die  of  fever),  warm-hearted,  canny,  like  a 
Scotchman,  some  of  them,  and  quick  to  perceive  and 
appreciate  a  genuine  liking  for  themselves  and  their  style 
of  life.  Then  there  are  the  clerks,  book-keepers,  and 
managers  of  the  commissary  (connected  with  each  plan¬ 
tation),  tall,  likely  young  fellows  from  the  Southern  part 
of  the  United  States  mostly,  now  and  then  a  bean-eater 
from  Boston,  all  wearing  a  light-weight,  mouse-colored 
“  Stetson  ”  sombrero,  well  slouched  down  over  the  eyes, 
cotton  shirts,  and  riding  trousers  of  linen  or  wool,  with 
leather  riding  leggins.  They  take  life  jovially,  these 
youngsters,  and  look  forward  to  a  plantation  of  their  own 
some  day. 

Here  is  to  the  boys  on  the  “Old  Line.”  May  they 
live  long  and  prosper  ! 


A  STEAMER  OK  THE  UNITED  FRUIT  CO.  LOADING  BANANAS 


CHAPTER  XI 


< 


|1?<?  I^poblic;  of  j-ioijduras 

ONDURAS  was  discovered  by  Columbus  during 
his  fourth  voyage,  about  ten  years  after  his  first 
expedition.  The  locality  first  seen  by  him  was 
the  island  of  Guanaja,  the  most  easterly  of  the  group  now 
called  the  Bay  Islands,  where  he  arrived  on  the  30th  of 
July,  1502.  He  reached  the  mainland  on  the  14th  of 
August,  at  a  point  which  he  named  Punta  de  Caxinas,  a 
cape  stretching  out  into  the  sea  and  forming  what  was 
afterward  known  as  the  bay  of  Truxillo.  Honduras  is 
next  heard  of  when  Gil  Gonzales  Davila,  while  on  a  voyage 
from  Sto.  Domingo  to  Nicaragua  in  1524,  steering  too  far 
to  the  westward,  reached  the  coast  near  the  bay  now  called 
Puerto  Cortez. 

The  principal  ports  of  Honduras  on  the  Atlantic  side 
are  Puerto  Cortez,  Omoa,  Ceiba,  Truxillo.  The  beautiful 
and  spacious  harbor  of  Puerto  Cortez  was  discovered  in 
1524.  Cortes,  in  writing  to  the  king  of  Spain,  gave 
Puerto  Cortez  high  praise.  The  bay  is  somewhat  in  the 
shape  of  a  horseshoe,  with  great  depth  of  water  close  to 
the  shore. 


87 


88 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


At  Puerto  Cortez  the  sea  breeze  is  constant  and  refresh¬ 
ing.  There  is  very  little  to  cause  one  to  stay  more  than 
a  week  here,  though  the  traveller  will  be  well  cared  for 
at  Hotel  Lefebvre.  The  principal  street  of  Puerto  Cortez 
is  a  disgrace  to  the  town,  consisting  of  the  railroad  track 
only ;  the  railroad  is  certainly  handy  and  convenient,  for 
it  is  constantly  in  the  way. 

There  was  an  amusing  smuggling  case  at  the  Custom 
House  last  year,  —  a  dozen  revolvers,  several  thousand 
cartridges  for  them,  and  some  thousand  of  rifle  cartridges 
were  smuggled  in  kegs  of  nails  ;  a  keg  broke  in  the  hand¬ 
ling  at  the  Custom  House  (the  cartridges  and  revolvers 
being  in  a  central  compartment  with  nails  at  both  ends), 
and  thus  were  discovered  ;  the  party  to  whom  they  were 
consigned  (a  respected  citizen  of  San  Pedro  Sula)  dis¬ 
claimed  all  knowledge  of  them,  and  the  ammunition  was 
seized  by  the  government. 

The  authorities  of  Puerto  Cortez  have  a  very  laughable 
method  of  challenging  at  the  guardhouse,  in  the  evening, 
visitors  and  inhabitants  when  passing  from  one  end  of  the 
towm  to  the  other.  The  passer-by  is  halted  peremptorily  at 
the  cuartel,  and  made  to  give  an  account  of  himself;  this 
system  of  police  is  very  hurtful  to  the  reputation  of  the 
town,  and  cannot  be  too  greatly  condemned. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  things  to  study  in  Puerto 


The  Honduras  Coast 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  HONDURAS 


89 


Cortez  is  the  exiled  Louisiana  Lottery  Company,  which 
has  its  headquarters  here  under  the  name  of  the  Hondu¬ 
ras  Lottery  Company.  On  the  left-hand  side  of  the  rail¬ 
road,  and  facing  it,  is  the  beautiful  house  owned  by  this 
company.  Should  the  visitor  desire  a  change  from  the 
hotel  in  the  town,  he  will  do  well  to  seek  a  room  here,  as 
the  manager’s  wife  will  willingly  take  him  in  as  a  paying 
guest.  For  further  information  regarding  the  status  and 
statistics  of  this  remarkable  organization,  I  would  refer 
the  inquiring  mind  to  the  article  in  Harper s  Weekly  of 
August  3,  1895. 

The  well-known  firm  of  Messrs.  Geo.  D.  Emery,  Boston, 
Massachusetts  (Chelsea),  imports  into  Boston  from  Puerto 
Cortez  3000  logs  of  mahogany  a  month. 

The  United  Fruit  Company  have  regular  sailings  of  their 
steamers  from  New  Orleans  for  this  port,  sailing  every 
Thursday  at  9  a.m.,  and  from  Mobile  trimonthly.  The 
exportation  of  bananas  from  Puerto  Cortez  is  at  the  present 
time  very  large,  the  steamers  of  the  United  Fruit  Com¬ 
pany  carrying  large  cargoes,  about  125,000  bunches  a  month. 
In  1891,  the  banana  trade  was  only  in  its  infancy,  and  not 
more  than  320,000  bunches  a  year  were  exported  from  this 
port,  the  statistics  of  the  manager  of  the  railroad  at  that  date 
being  very  interesting,  as  showing  the  difficulties  of  the  plant¬ 
ers  at  that  time,  now  happily  nearly  overcome.  From  Sep- 


9° 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


tember  to  December,  each  year,  the  excessive  rains  on  the 
railroad  are  liable  to  cause  a  decrease  of  shipments ;  the 
rains  sometimes  entirely  shut  off  the  upper  and  most  pro¬ 
ductive  part  of  the  road,  and  during  this  time  many  thou¬ 
sands  of  bunches  are  lost  to  the  planters. 

To  the  estimates  of  shipments  made  by  the  railroad  to 
Puerto  Cortez  will  have  to  be  added  at  least  25  per 


LOADING  BANANAS 


cent  for  fruit  lost  to  the  fruit  growers,  caused  by  the 
breaking  down  of  trains,  making  it  impossible  to  receive 
fruit  for  shipment,  as  the  fruit  would  be  too  old  ;  and  from 
8  to  10  per  cent  to  be  added  for  fruit  arriving  in  Puerto 
Cortez  in  bad  or  bruised  condition,  and  thrown  away,  no 
account  of  which  is  taken  by  the  railroad. 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  HONDURAS 


91 


There  is  a  very  large  amount  of  vacant  land  along  the 
line  of  the  road,  which  would  all  be  planted  in  bananas  if 
the  railroad  was  kept  in  any  kind  of  condition. 

The  Lillian  iron  mine,  at  El  Pariso,  26  miles  on  the 
railroad  from  Puerto  Cortez  (the  property  is  about  four 
miles  square),  is  managed  by  Senor  A.  C.  de  Leon.  It  is 
now  being  developed,  and  is  a  very  valuable  property.  It 
has  three  shafts;  the  ore  assays: — - 

Magnetic  iron  ......  67.30  per  cent. 

Silicon  ........  1.30  per  cent. 

Aluminium  .......  2.20  per  cent. 

Black  oxide  iron  ......  None. 

The  Inter-oceanic  Railroad,  from  Puerto  Cortez  to  San 
Pedro  Sula,  is  38  miles  in  length,  fare  $3.00  Honduras 
money.  At  the  present  time  (1900)  the  railroad  is  in 
a  very  inferior  condition.  The  cars  are  uncomfortable 
and  dirty.  There  is  a  hope  that  the  railroad  will  shortly 
be  acquired  by  Northern  capitalists,  who  will  give  the  rail¬ 
road  needed  attention. 

San  Pedro  Sula  has  a  population  of  about  3000  inhabit¬ 
ants,  and  is  situated  on  the  plain  of  Sula,  surrounded 
by  hills,  the  tops  covered  by  the  low  clouds.  There  is  a 
fine  Catholic  church  and  a  Protestant  meeting-house.  The 
Rio  de  Las  Piedras  flows  through  the  plain.  There  are 
three  main  streets  running  the  entire  length  of  the  town. 


92 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


The  air  and  climate  of  San  Pedro  is  very  good,  and  a 
pleasant  change  from  Puerto  Cortez,  being  at  least  ten 
degrees  cooler. 

The  principal  hotel  is  very  poor,  but  will  serve  to  stay 
at  for  at  least  a  day  or  two.  To  reach  Tegucigalpa,  the 
capital  of  Honduras,  from  San  Pedro  Sula,  mules  may  be 
hired  at  the  hotel  for  the  journey  of  about  250  miles,  a 
journey  of  a  week.  The  cost  of  hiring  a  mule  is  $15  to 
$20  gold  per  week,  with  like  amount  for  servant  and 
mule;  cargo  mules  carry  200  pounds,  and  the  charge  for 
them  is  $12  gold  for  the  journey.  Cost  of  provisions  $i 
per  day,  for  servant  and  mule  extra;  plenty  of  small 
change,  and  a  cloth  hammock  is  recommended,  and  one 
should  take  his  own  saddle,  as  those  for  hire  are  not  com¬ 
fortable. 


Route  of  Travel 


First  day. 
Second  day 
Third  day. 
Fourth  day 
Fifth  day. 
Sixth  day. 


San  Pedro  Sula  to  Pinto 
Pinto  to  Santa  Cruz 
Santa  Cruz  to  Miambar 
Miambar  to  Cueras 
Cueras  to  Comayagua  . 
Comayagua  to  Proteccion 
Proteccion  to  Tegucigalpa 


Seventh  dav. 


This  road  (one  can  hardly  call  it  a  road)  is  a  bad  one  in 
the  dry  season  ;  in  the  wet  season  it  is  impassable.  The  road 
from  Tegucigalpa  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  is  about  75  miles 


San  Pedro  Sula. 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  HONDURAS 


93 


and  much  easier,  connecting  by  steamer  on  the  Pacific 
with  Panama  and  San  Francisco. 

Tegucigalpa  (City  of  the  Silver  Hills)  is  the  largest  and 
finest  city  of  the  republic  of  Honduras.  By  the  census 
of  1S87  it  contained  12,5.87  inhabitants.  The  exact  date 
of  its  founding  is  not  known,  but  it  existed  as  a  native 
settlement  before  the  Spanish  conquest.  The  city  is 
situated  in  a  valley  3200  feet  above  the  sea,  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Choluteca  River,  or  Rio  Grande ; 
the  river  at  this  point  is  about  200  feet  wide.  The 
streets  are  narrow,  the  houses  are  built  of  adobe, 
whitewashed,  and  painted  in  brilliant  colors.  The  central 
point  of  the  city  is  the  central  park.  In  the  centre  is  a 
bronze  equestrian  statue  of  Morazan,  the  hero  of  Central 
American  independence.  On  the  east  side  ,  of  the  plaza 
is  the  principal  church.  It  is,  with  the  exception  of  the 
cathedral  at  Comayagua,  the  largest  and  handsomest  church 
in  Honduras.  It  was  built  in  1782.  The  church  is  of 
the  Moorish  style,  all  pure  white;  it  has  a  clock  and  bells; 
there  are  no  seats.  It  has  two  towers  and  an  imposing 
facade,  the  roof  terminating  in  a  dome  over  the  altar.  The 
principal  altar  is  of  carved  wood  richly  gilded.  On  the 
walls  are  some  ancient  paintings.  The  water  supply  of 
the  city  is  very  good,  brought  from  the  Rio  Jutiapa,  a 
distance  of  12  miles. 


94 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


Surrounding  the  capital  is  a  magnificent  mineral  region. 
The  mines  of  the  adjacent  territory  have  yielded  immense 
quantities  of  gold  and  silver,  but  under  very  crude  condi¬ 
tions,  until  of  late  years  new  energy  and  American  capital 
have  rejuvenated  this  region.  Seven  miles  to  the  north 
of  Tegucigalpa  is  the  Santa  Lucia  mine ;  it  has  200 
veins  of  silver  ore.  The  ore  is  principally  galena  and 
sulphuret.  The  Rosario  mine  at  San  Juancito  sends  out 
a  mule  train  of  30  mules  every  month  (1899)  through 
Tegucigalpa  to  the  Pacific  coast,  each  mule  carrying  two 
bars  of  silver  bullion,  weighing  125  pounds  apiece,  18  per 
cent  of  which  is  gold. 

The  opal  mines  of  Honduras  are  near  the  town  of  Eran- 
dique  in  the  department  of  Gracias.  Spanish  Honduras 
lies  between  130  and  160  N.  latitude.  The  climate  is  semi- 
tropical.  The  heat  of  the  Pacific  coast  is  not  so  excessive 
as  the  Atlantic  side.  The  population  of  Honduras  is  about 
400,000.  The  Hondurenos  are  a  peaceful  and  friendly 
people,  kind  and  hospitable  to  all  strangers. 

The  fruit  of  Honduras  consists  of  the  banana,  custard- 
apple,  plums,  lemons,  limes,  oranges,  pomegranates,  papaws, 
rose-apples,  mangoes,  guavas,  cacao,  etc.  Vegetable  prod¬ 
ucts  :  tobacco,  indigo,  sassafras,  Peruvian  bark,  vanilla, 
pimento,  ginger,  pepper,  sarsaparilla,  yams,  plantains,  etc. 

The  papaya,  or  papaw,  tree  is  found  in  the  mountains 


Central  Park,  Tegucigalpa  —  Honduras. 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  HONDURAS 


95 


of  Honduras  and  Costa  Rica,  and  is  grown  near  the 
houses.  The  tree  is  small,  reaching  three  or  four  yards  in 
height  and  less  than  a  foot  in  diameter.  It  is  straight, 
and  has  no  branches  from  the  middle  of  the  trunk.  The 
fruit  grows  to  the  size  of  an  ordinary  melon.  The  very 
sweet  pulp  is  rather  insipid,  but  is  a  useful  antiscorbutic. 

The  Dead  City  of  Copan 

One  of  the  remarkable  sights  in  Honduras  are  the  ruins 
of  Copan,  now  overgrown  with  a  dense  and  luxuriant  tropi¬ 
cal  vegetation.  Diego  Garcia  Polacio  was  the  first  Euro¬ 
pean  to  visit  them.  Stevens  has  since  then  investigated 
these  ruins.  They  are  situated  in  the  mountainous'  interior 
of  the  country,  a  few  miles  distant  from  the  Guatemalan 
frontier,  and  about  midway  between  the  Pacific  and  the 
Atlantic.  At  the  present  time,  they  show  only  dilapidated 
fragments  covered  with  sculptured  figures  and  hieroglyph¬ 
ics.  Among  the  most  interesting  of  the  remains  are 
numerous  monoliths  scattered  about  —  some  erect,  others 
fallen  and  almost  buried  in  the  ground.  Some  of  the  pil¬ 
lars  are  more  than  eleven  feet  in  length,  width  three  and 
a  half  feet,  thickness  three  feet.  On  the  front  side  is  rep¬ 
resented  the  figure  of  a  man  with  a  strange  head-dress 
and  breast-plate,  the  figure  deeply  cut  and  surrounded 
with  elaborate  carvings. 


96 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


The  relievos  sculpture  and  graved  stones  found  in  the 
ruined  cities  of  Central  America  have  some  elements  of 
resemblance  to  the  mythological  monuments  and  designs 
of  the  Old  World.  Some  day  the  origin  and  histories  of 
these  earthworks  and  ruins  may  be  discovered  ;  but  it  will 
probably  be  found  by  searching  into  the  writings  of  the 
ancient  European  and  Asiatic  authors.  The  materials  for 
the  development  of  the  geography  and  history  of  antedi¬ 
luvian  America  lie  scattered  in  the  fragmentary  traditions 
of  other  lands. 


The  Bay  Islands 

The  Bay  Islands  are  a  number  of  small  islands  lying 
30  miles  off  the  coast  of  Spanish  Honduras,  southeast 
of  Puerto  Cortez ;  they  consist  of  five  islands,  four  days’ 
steamship  travel  from  New  Orleans.  Ruatan  is  the  prin¬ 
cipal  island  and  the  most  important  of  the  group.  It  is 
40  miles  long  and  3  miles  wide.  Population  3000,  mostly 
Carib  Indians.  Their  only  industry  is  the  handling  of 
cocoanuts,  of  which  there  are  8,000,000  shipped  in  a 
year.  Cocoanuts  form  the  mainstay  of  the  trade,  and 
there  is  nothing  easier  to  grow. 

To  start  a  grove,  one  merely  burns  off  a  piece  of  land 
and  plants  the  nuts  in  rows  20  feet  apart.  In  from  four 
to  five  years’  time  the  trees  are  a  dozen  feet  high  and 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  HONDURAS  97 

are  beginning  to  bear,  and  after  that  the  planter  is  fixed 
for  life.  The  nuts  are  never  picked,  but  as  they  mature 
they  drop  off,  and  this  shower  of  fruit  goes  on  steadily 
month  after  month  all  the  year  around.  Some  of  the  trees 
on  the  island  are  known  to  be  over  50  years  old  and  are 
still  in  full  bearing;. 

o 


A  TROPICAL  PARADISE 

There  is  an  active  ship-building  industry  for  small  ton¬ 
nage,  ranging  from  15  tons  up  to  75.  The  vessels  are 
rigged  as  sloops. 

The  islands  are  a  tropical  paradise,  overrun  with  wild 
roses  and  every  imaginable  kind  of  flower.  Bananas, 
oranges,  mangoes,  plums,  and  pineapples  grow  wild  in 
abundance,  without  cultivation.  It  is,  indeed,  a  lazy  man’s 
paradise. 

Utilla,  with  800  population,  is  the  shipping  port  of  the 


98 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


islands,  several  steamers  of  the  United  Fruit  Company 
touching  here.  Utila,  Ruatan,  Bonacca,  Barbareta,  and 
Morat  make  up  the  Bay  Islands.  Barbareta  is  three  miles 
long,  and  some  hundred  head  of  cattle  are  kept  on  it. 

The  climate  of  the  islands  is  very  equal  ;  from  66°  to 
88°  is  the  regular  mark  at  all  times. 

The  islands  are  owned  by  the  republic  of  Honduras, 
represented  in  the  islands  by  an  administrator,  a  com- 
mandante,  and  a  governor. 


Cargo  Boats. 


CHAPTER  XII 


fl?<?  ^public  of  ()uat<?iT]ala 

HE  republic  of  Guatemala  faces  on  the  Atlantic 


and  Pacific  oceans  ;  she  has  two  ports  on  the 
Atlantic  and  three  ports  on  the  Pacific.  Her  rail¬ 


ways  and  iron  piers  on  the  Pacific  belong  to  Americans. 
The  republic  has  no  war  vessels  ;  the  ports  on  the  Pacific 
are  open  roadsteads.  Livingston,  on  the  Caribbean  side,  is 
a  small  picturesque  town  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio 
Dulce,  and  exports  many  thousand  bunches  of  bananas 
yearly.  Judging  from  the  first-class  samples  of  coffee  berry 
ripe  on  the  stalk  seen  by  the  writer  at  the  port,  the  future 
of  Livingston  as  a  coffee  centre  is  very  bright.  Mr.  Frank 
Dennis,  United  States  Consular  Agent  at  Livingston,  is  a 
Maine  man,  and  an  expert  on  the  coffee  plant,  and  he  and 
Mr.  W.  L.  Adams  (late  of  Boston)  will  be  happy  to  assist 
any  traveller  desirous  of  viewing  the  magnificent  scenery 
of  the  Rio  Dulce,  the  outlet  to  Lake  Izabal. 

The  steamer  stops  here  only  on  the  down  trip  to  Puerto 
Cortez.  About  ioo  miles  from  Belize  we  come  to  Puerto 
Barrios,  another  entrance  port  to  the  republic  of  Gua- 


99 


IOO 


THE  ('.OLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


temala,  visited  weekly  by  the  steamers  of  the  United 
Fruit  Company.  It  is  the  Atlantic  terminal  of  the  North¬ 
ern  Railroad,  which  proceeds  some  85  miles  toward  the 
capital,  and  ends  at  the  station  El  Rancho,  two  days’ 
mule-back  ride  from  Guatemala  City.  There  is  a  comfort¬ 
able  hotel  at  El  Rancho,  and  the  ride  of  48  hours  to  the 
capital  is  comparatively  easy.  The  traveller  to  Guatemala 
City  should  provide  suitable  provisions  to  carry  with  him, 
as  the  chance  of  finding  food  on  the  way  is  exceedingly 
doubtful.  Near  Guatemala  City  there  are  many  wonder¬ 
ful  and  beautiful  antiquities  to  be  seen  in  Antigua  City, 
especially  the  old  cathedral  and  examples  of  Spanish 
architecture  of  the  last  two  centuries.  There  is  an  engrav¬ 
ing  of  Guatemala  City  (Antigua)  in  “Gage’s  Voyages” 
(Amsterdam),  1720.  Antigua  had  grown  to  be  the  city 
of  the  most  importance  after  Mexico  City  in  Spanish 
America ;  and  this  in  spite  of  the  many  earthquakes 
which  in  succession  nearly  destroyed  it,  noticeably  those 
of  1751,  1757,  1765,  and  1773.  These  earthquakes  induced 
the  inhabitants  to  remove  to  another  locality,  and  thus 
the  new  capital  of  Guatemala  was  founded.  The  present 
population  of  Antigua  is  about  20,000,  of  Guatemala  City 
45,000.  The  area  of  Guatemala  is  40,620  square  miles, 
population  1,800,000  or  more,  mostly  Indians  and  their 
descendants. 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  GUATEMALA 


IOI 


The  regular  army  of  Guatemala  consists  of  about  5000 
men.  It  is  well  known  that  Guatemala  has  a  large 
quantity  of  war  material,  including  Krupp  mountain-guns, 
etc.,  but  lacks  trained  men  in  her  ranks  and  among  her 
officers. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


British  jHor^duras 


ONDURAS  was  discovered  in  1502  by  Columbus, 


and  in  1518  Grijalra  landed  on  the  island  of 
Cozumel,  and  named  the  country  New  Spain. 


The  country,  what  now  constitutes  British  Honduras,  was 
ceded  to  Great  Britain  in  July,  1670.  Since  the  invasion 
of  1798,  when  the  Spaniards  were  repulsed,  the  English 
have  held  the  territory  by  right  of  conquest  in  addition 
to  claims  of  occupation.  Captain  Nathaniel  Uring,  writing 
in  1720  a  history  of  his  voyages  and  travels  to  the  bay  of 
Honduras  and  Belize  River,  said  :  “  The  country  is  all  a 
flat,  and  great  part  of  it  a  morass,  with  several  large 
lagoons.  In  the  dry  time  of  the  year  the  logwood  cutters 
search  for  work,  that  is,  where  there  are  a  good  number 
of  logwood  trees,  and  then  build  a  hut  near  them,  where 
they  live  during  the  time  they  are  cutting.  Some  of  these 
trees  grow  very  tall  and  straight,  though  most  of  them  are 

low  and  crooked.  The  general  price  of  the  wood  is 

/ 

per  ton  Jamaica  money.  The  logwood  cutters  during  the 
floods  dwell  some  42  miles  up  the  river  at  the  ‘  Barca- 


102 


Belize  —  Old  Gate 


BRITISH  HONDURAS 


io3 

dares,’  where  they  have  built  their  huts  upon  pretty  high 
banks,  which  just  keep  ’em  out  of  the  water  in  the  time 
of  the  floods.”  British  Honduras  is  situated  on  the  eastern 
slopes  of  the  peninsula  of  Yucatan,  distant  from  England 
5700  miles,  goo  miles  south  of  New  Orleans,-  600  miles 
west  of  Jamaica.  British  Honduras  is  a  tropical  country, 
the  temperature  ranging  from  56°  to  96°,  and  averaging 
75°  to  8o°.  Toledo  is  a  thriving  colony  of  settlers  from 
the  United  States,  many  having  become  independent. 

To  reach  British  Honduras,  the  United  Fruit  Company 
(New  Orleans  branch)  will  give  all  information  for  intending 
tourists,  immigrants,  or  settlers.  Hurricanes  or  cyclones 
never  reach  the  coast  of  British  Honduras  ;  the  highest 
velocity  noted  of  the  wind  was  25  miles  an  hour.  August 
to  November  are  the  rainy  months;  February,  March, 
and  April  the  dry  months.  The  rise  and  progress  of 
the  colony  of  British  Honduras  has  been  continually 
connected  with  the  fortunes  of  its  trade  in  timber  and 
dyewoods. 

The  chief  industry  of  the  colony  is  wood-cutting,  which 
has  been  carried  on  for  over  200  years ;  as  a  result, 
much  of  the  finest  timber  within  reach  of  the  principal 
rivers  has  been  cut  down  ;  but  there  are  vast  tracts  of 
virgin  forests  in  the  interior,  growing  some  of  the  finest 
timber  trees  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  world. 


104 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


Among  the  woods  may  be  mentioned  mahogany,  logwood, 
cedar,  sapodilla,  rosewood,  fustic,  ironwood,  redwood,  cocoa- 
nut  palm,  etc. 

Belize  has  a  seacoast  of  about  180  miles,  and  extends 
into  the  interior  about  68  miles,  with  an  area  of  7562 
square  miles,  and  is  about  twice  the  size  of  Jamaica.  The 
highest  peak  in  the  Cockscomb  Mountains  is  Victoria  Peak, 
3700  feet  above  the  sea  level,  showing  a  beautiful  and 
picturesque  outline  against  the  sunset.  The  population  of 
British  Honduras  is  about  30,000(1890). 

The  name  of  the  capital,  Belize,  was  probably  derived 
from  the  French  word  balize,  a  beacon.  The  Indian  name 
of  Belize  is  Mopan  ;  of  Honduras,  Zuina.  The  original 
settlement  by  the  British  cannot  be  traced  to  any  date 
farther  back  than  the  protectorate  of  Cromwell.  Ship¬ 
masters  brought  logwood  to  London  in  1 666,  which  first 
drew  the  attention  of  British  capitalists  to  this  country. 

Belize,  the  capital  of  British  Honduras,  is  situated  on 
one  of  the  mouths  of  the  Old  River,  near  P'ort  George. 
The  population  in  1881  was  27,452,  of  which  375  were 
white  and  27,077  colored  or  black. 

The  town  presents  a  most  pleasing  aspect  from  the  harbor. 
The  houses  are  nearly  all  built  of  wood.  The  chief  buildings 
are  the  Court  House  (1880),  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  the 
St.  John’s  Episcopal  Cathedral  (1812),  Government  House 
(1814),  and  the  Roman  Catholic  Convent. 


BRITISH  HONDURAS 


*°5 

The  town  is  built  on  the  banks  of  the  river  for  half  a 
mile,  and  extends  along  the  shore  for  over  two  miles.  A 
wooden  bridge  crosses  the  river  mouth  ;  it  was  opened  in 
1859.  Many  of  the  houses  are  surrounded  with  gardens 
planted  with  oleanders,  cocoanut  trees,  crotons,  and  other 
bright-colored  shrubs  and  trees.  It  is  a  very  healthful  town 
(though  surrounded  by  swamps) ;  this  is  due  to  the  sea 


KKLI/.i-. 


breezes  and  sandy  subsoil.  Some  places  Lave  been  filled 
with  mahogany  chips,  but  they  have  been  buried  deeply 
in  sand. 

From  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  the  United  Fruit  Company 
send  a  fast  line  of  Royal  Mail  steamers  to  Belize,  sailing 
every  Thursday  at  9  a.m.  It  is  delightful  to  get  away  from 
frosty  lands  and  breathe  the  intoxicating  air  of  the  “  Golden 


io6  THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 

Caribbean,”  finding  the  deep  blue  of  the  waters  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  a  great  contrast  to  the  muddy  yellow  ochre  color 
of  the  Mississippi  River.  The  swift  steamers,  the  Break¬ 
water  and  the  Stillwater,  are  models  of  safety  and  neatness, 
and  the  efficient  pursers  of  the  steamers  see  to  the  comfort 
of  all  their  passengers.  The  steamer  arrives  at  Belize  (at 
7  p.m.  )  in  less  than  four  days,  and  anchors  two  miles  from 
the  shore,  as  the  harbor  is  shallow.  We  go  ashore  in  the 
small  local  sail-boats,  with  an  exciting  race  between  the 
different  skippers  (as  to  which  will  reach  the  Custom  House 
wharf  first)  to  add  to  the  interest  of  our  first  approach  to 
tropic  shores.  The  water  of  the  harbor  is  smooth  and  glassy, 
and  sometimes  one  may  see  the  triangular  fin  of  the 
shark  cutting  the  surface. 

Nicaragua 

Nicaragua,  among  the  Central  American  republics,  holds 
an  important  position  between  the  two  great  oceans.  It  con¬ 
tains  about  40,000  square  miles.  The  population  of  Nica¬ 
ragua  is,  according  to  the  census  of  1890,  360,000.  The 
boundary  between  Nicaragua  and  Costa  Rica  was  long  in 
dispute,  but  was  defined  by  .a  treaty  between  the  two  repub¬ 
lics  which  was  concluded  on  April  15,  1858.  The  Caribbean 
coast  of  Nicaragua  measures  about  300  miles  from  north  to 
south.  The  ports  of  entry  on  the  Atlantic  side  are  San 


Street  in  Belize  —  British  Honduras 


BRITISH  HONDURAS 


107 

Juan  del  Norte,  or  Greytown,  Cabo  de  Gracias  a  Dios,  and 
Bluefields.  In  consequence  of  the  great  development  of 
the  trade  in  bananas  and  other  tropical  fruits,  and  the 
establishment  of  regular  lines  of  steamers  from  the  United 
States,  Bluefields  is  assuming  a  position  of  importance  as  a 
port.  The  Bluefields  River,  or  the  Mico,  has  its  source  in 
the  mountains  ;  its  general  course  is  from  west  to  east.  It 
is  a  beautiful  river,  and  for  a  distance  of  65  miles,  from 
Bluefields  to  the  Boca  de  Rama,  large  steamers  running  to 
New  Orleans,  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Boston  ascend 
without  difficulty. 

The  banana  exportation  from  the  coast  of  Nicaragua  is 
very  large,  principally  transported  weekly  from  Bluefields 
and  Rama  to  New  Orleans  by  the  United  Fruit  Company. 
The  distance  from  New  Orleans  to  Bluefields  is  1210  miles, 
and  the  steamers  of  the  United  Fruit  Company  take  five  days 
to  make  the  trip.  The  service  is  semi-weekly,  the  steamers 
carrying  passengers,  freight,  and  mail  from  New  Orleans, 
returning  loaded  with  bananas,  gold,  rubber,  cocoanuts,  and 
other  freight,  as  well  as  passengers  for  the  States. 

Previous  to  the  war  between  the  United  States  and  Spain 
the  cocoanut  trade  of  Big  and  Little  Corn  Islands,  off  the 
coast  of  Nicaragua,  was  controlled  by  small  American  trad¬ 
ing  vessels.  They  came*  with  a  miscellaneous  cargo  and 
traded  it  for  cocoanuts,  at  the  rate  of  one  cent  each,  other- 


io8 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


wise  they  paid  $10  gold  a  thousand  for  them.  Now  the 
cocoanuts  are  sent  to  New  Orleans  on  the  fruit  steamers. 
During  1898,  688,711  cocoanuts,  valued  at  $10,196  gold 
were  shipped  from  these  islands.  « 

American  capital  is  interested  in  improvements  along  the 
coast  from  Bluefields  to  Cape  Gracias.  Lighthouses  are  to 
be  erected  at  suitable  points  along  the  coast ;  a  line  of 
steamers  will  be  provided  to  run  between  Greytown  and 
Cape  Gracias,  calling  at  intermediate  ports.  In  order  to 
bring  the  banana  plantations  in  closer  communication  with 
the  shore,  the  plan  is  to  build  a  railroad  from  the  Rama 
River  to  Monkey  Point,  and  then  provide  suitable  harbor 
facilities  for  shipping  the  fruit  on  ocean-going  steamships 
to  the  United  States. 


The  Nicaragua  Canal 

The  question  of  interoceanic  communication  across  the 
American  isthmus  has  been  continually  presented  to  the 
attention  of  the  civilized  world  with  more  or  less  persist¬ 
ency  since  the  days  of  Columbus. 

Von  Humboldt,  in  his  writings,  uses  the  Nicaraguan 
route  as  the  standard  of  his  comparisons  of  the  different 
routes  under  discussion.  Though  more  recent  and  more 
exact  information  has  not  fully  corroborated  all  of  his  opin- 


BRITISH  HONDURAS 


109 

ions,  it  has  fully  confirmed  all  that  he  said  or  implied  con¬ 
cerning  the  Nicaraguan  route. 

San  Juan  del  Norte,  or  Greytown,  and  Brito,  on  the 
Pacific,  are  the  termini  of  the  canal.  Its  length  from  port 
to  port  is  169.J  miles,  of  which  26|  will  be  excavated  chan¬ 
nel,  and  142!  miles  lakes,  rivers,  and  basins. 

The  summit  level  is  necessarily  that  of  Lake  Nicaragua, 

1 10  feet  above  the  sea.  This  magnificent  body  of  water, 
in  the  centre  of  the  country,  is  the  key  of  the  technical 
problem  ;  and  as  navigation  is  possible  for  some  distance 
down  its  outlet,  the  San  Juan,  there  are  in  reality  two 
canals  to  be  constructed,  one  to  join  the  lake  with  the 
Pacific,  and  the  other  to  extend  the  navigable  water  of  the 
San  Juan  to  the  Caribbean  Sea.  There  will  be  three  locks 
near  either  end. 

For  9!  miles  from  the  inner  harbor  at  San  Juan  del 
Norte,  the  canal  extends  southwesterly  across  the  lowlands 
of  the  coast  to  the  foot-hills  of  the  Cordillera,  known  as  the 
eastern  divide,  where  is  located  the  first  of  the  eastern 
locks. 

The  locks  follow  in  close  succession  :  No.  1,  at  9-J-  miles, 
with  a  lift  of  31  feet  ;  No.  2,  1^  miles  farther  on,  with  a  lift 
of  30  feet  ;  and  No.  3,  about  2|-  miles  beyond,  with  a  lift  of 
45  feet. 

Here  commences  the  summit  level  of  the  canal  at  an 


I  IO 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


elevation  of  106  feet  above  the  sea,  which  allows  four  feet 
of  fall  from  the  lake  for  flowage. 

Dredging  in  Lake  Nicaragua  to  an  average  depth  of 
io  feet  in  soft  mud  bottom,  width  150  feet,  for  14  miles 
from  the  shore,  will  secure  a  navigable  channel  of  30  feet 
to  deep  water. 

From  this  point  the  course  of  the  canal  is  across  the 
lake  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Lajas,  across  the  western 
divide,  which  is  43  feet  above  the  canal  level,  to  the 
valley  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  the  Tola  basin  ;  for  9 
miles  from  the  lake  there  will  be  required  considerable 
earth  and  rock  excavation.  About  5^  miles  farther  on, 
near  La  Flor,  are  located  locks  Nos.  4  and  5  and  a 
large  dam  which  impounds  the  waters  of  the  Tola  basin. 
These  locks  terminate  the  summit  level  of  the  canal. 

Lock  No.  6  is  the  last  of  the  western  series,  and  will 
lower  the  canal  to  the  level  of  the  Pacific,  with  a  lift 
of  21  to  29  feet,  varying  according  to  tidal  conditions. 

The  work  of  construction  has  progressed  slowly,  but 
systematically,  from  the  year  1889.  The  breakwater, 
erected  at  the  entrance  of  the  old  harbor  of  San  Juan, 
is  constantly  being  improved  and  lengthened,  and  when 
the  breakwater  had  reached  the  length  of  800  feet,  it 
caused  the  channel  to  deepen  to  15  feet  or  more,  which 
will  be  increased  by  dredges  to  over  30  feet. 


Maya  Monolith  —  Belize, 


BRITISH  HONDURAS 


hi 


The  country  through  which  the  course  of  the  canal 
is  laid,  for  the  first  io  miles  from  the  coast,  is  a  flat, 
alluvial  formation,  with  occasional  lagoons  and  swamps 
covered  with  a  dense,  primeval  forest. 

Above  the  San  Carlos  and  at  Machuca  the  forests 
which  clothe  the  banks  of  the  river  are  tropical  in  luxu¬ 
riance.  The  lofty  trees  are  draped  with  vines,  which 
creep  and  twine  among  their  branches  and  droop  to  the 
water’s  edge  in  massive  walls  of  verdure. 

Above  Machuca  there  are  occasional  clearings,  where 
the  lands  are  cultivated,  through  which  the  distant  hills 
appear.  At  other  places  the  hills  themselves  rise  with 
steep  and  almost  precipitous  slopes  directly  from  the 
river. 

At  Castillo  is  an  old  Spanish  fort,  garrisoned  by  the 
Nicaraguan  government.  It  was  considered  impregnable 
by  its  builders,  but  was  captured  by  a  British  force  in 
1780. 

The  commercial  problem  which  the  opening  of  a  canal 
across  Nicaragua  would  solve  is  the  same  to-day  as  that 
which  stimulated  Columbus  and  his  contemporaries  to 
their  arduous  efforts ;  the  only  difference  is  in  the  in¬ 
creased  magnitude  of  its  advantages.  It  is  still  the  dis¬ 
covery  of  a  direct  east  and  west  route  for  the  commerce 
of  the  world.  Of  all  the  lines  of  ocean-sailing  steamers 


I  I  2 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


which  focus  their  routes  at  Greytovvn  at  the  present 
time,  the  United  Fruit  Company  possess  the  greatest 
advantage  of  being  well  equipped  with  over  50  steamers, 
and  stand  ready  for  the  advance  in  trade  and  rush  of 
competition  which  will  ensue  upon  the  opening  of  the 
Nicaraguan  Canal. 

The  United  Fruit  Company  are  even  now  (1900)  pre¬ 
paring  their  schedule  and  placing  their  steamers  on  new 
routes  up  and  down  the  Central  American  coast  ;  the 
new  steamer  Sunrise,  recently  placed  in  commission  by 
the  company  under  contract  with  the  government  of 
Costa  Rica,  will  carry  the  mails  and  passengers  from  Port 
Limon,  Costa  Rica,  to  Bocas  del  Toro  and  Colon  and 
return,  and  from  Port  Limon  to  Greytown  and  Bluefields 
and  return. 


Belize  —  Washekwoman. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


prom  |V<?uj  Orleans  to  port  Cimoi),  C^osta  piea 

f"*HE  Anselm  and  Olympia ,  crack  steamships  of  the 
United  Fruit  Company,  reach  Port  Limon,  Costa 
Rica,  after  a  five  days’  run  from  New  Orleans. 
In  a  terrific  burst  and  downpour  of  rain  we  left  New 
Orleans  in  the  month  of  February,  chilled  to  the  marrow 
of  our  bones  by  the  dampness  and  the  raw  wind  blowing 
down  the  Mississippi  River. 

The  city  was  left  behind,  lost  in  mist  and  smoke,  as 
the  steamer  followed  the  winding  banks  of  the  river. 
We  met  occasionally  (the  sight  of  all  sights  to  a  North¬ 
ern  man)  a  stern-wheel  steamer  loaded  to  the  gunwales 
with  bales  of  cotton,  laboriously  puffing  its  way  to  the 
city.  The  banks  of  the  river  swiftly  glided  by  ;  at  times 
we  could  almost  throw  a  potato  ashore,  at  other  times 
the  pilot  curved  to  the  middle  of  the  stream,  steering 
from  point  to  point. 

Toward  sunset  the  steamer  passed  out  on  to  the 
Gulf,  and  to  some  this  was  a  signal  to  retire  to  their 
staterooms  and  seek  the  aid  of  the  experienced  stewards ; 
others  were  held  captive  by  the  attractions  of  the  cosey 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


1 14 

smoking  room ;  but  after  a  few  hours  even  the  hardi¬ 
est  of  the  travellers  sought  the  seclusion  and  warmth 
of  their  comfortable  staterooms.  The  ensuing  days  were 
marked  by  calm  seas  and  dazzling  sunshine,  the  steamer 
lazily  rising  and  falling  as  she  pursued  her  course  over  a 
summer  sea.  The  familiar  (to  some)  flying-fish  now  put 
in  their  appearance,  and  the  days  of  frost  and  rain  are 
forgotten  for  the  time  being,  in  the  study  of  the  beauties 
of  nature  in  her  most  entrancing  effects.  The  sunsets 
are  glorious,  luscious  in  their  dreamy  beauty,  reminding 
one  that  soon  the  blazing  tropics  are  to  come  with 
their  stronger  colors  and  contrasts.  After  three  days’ 
voyage,  the  temperature  increases ;  no  more  can  we  bask 
in  the  sun  —  rather  must  we  shun  it,  and  seek  the  shady 
side  of  the  deck.  The  heat  is  humid  and  tends  to  loung¬ 
ing  and  deliberation,  salt  sea  baths  drawn  direct  from 
the  sea  are  now  popular,  and  one  seeks  to  keep  down 
the  heat  of  the  blood. 

We  soon  pass  down  the  coast  of  Nicaragua;  the  long 
white  beach  can  be  seen  extending  dimly  for  miles,  no 
mountains  or  hills  to  break  the  low-lying  shore ;  and 
over  a  glassy  sea,  reflecting  the  rays  of  a  torrid  sun,  the 
steamer  moves  with  a  stealthy  gliding  motion,  suggesting 
caution,  for  we  are  approaching  Costa  Rica  with  its  dan¬ 
gerous  coral  reefs. 


FROM  NEW  ORLEANS  TO  PORT  LIMON  115 

In  the  far  distance,  miles  yet  away,  rises  a  cloud  which 
darkens  and  increases  in  importance  until  low  down,  near 
the  line  of  the  silver  streak,  appears  a  little  island  over¬ 
topped  with  a  white  lighthouse. 

“  It’s  Port  Limon,  sure  enough,”  said  the  first  officer, 
as  he  passed  by  leisurely,  proceeding  to  the  bridge;  “you 


PORT  LIMON 

don’t  need  any  passport  for  that  republic,”  was  his  last 
consoling  remark. 

The  steamer  gradually  draws  near  to  the  pier,  and  now 
one  can  see  plainly  the  portly  person  of  Captain  Softcote, 
the  English  manager  of  the  wharf,  and  other  representa¬ 
tive  citizens,  all  dressed  in  white  duck  suits.  The  pas¬ 
sengers  (mostly  planters  and  business  men  returning  to 
Costa  Rica)  hurried  to  the  rail  of  the  ship,  and  comments 
and  sallies  of  wit  were  passed  from  shore  to  ship,  and 
back  again,  as  each  known  face  was  discovered:  — 

“  How  many  manzanas  have  you  cleaned  up  lately  ?  ” 
“This  is  a  dry  day,  William.” 


THE  GOLDEN  CARIBBEAN 


1 1 6 

“How  are  the  boys  on  the  Old  Line?” 

“Where’s  the  Count?  I  don’t  see  him.” 

“Hullo,  Norton,  what  is  exchange  to-day?” 
were  the  questions  and  remarks  (quite  unintelligible  to 
the  stranger)  fired  at  the  appreciative  audience,  as  the 
steamer  bumped  against  the  wharf. 

We  now  find  ourselves  renewing  our  acquaintance  with 
Port  Limon,  and  realize  that  under  a  tropical  sun  we  have 
circumnavigated  (in  the  steamers  of  the  United  Fruit 
Company)  the  sea  made  notable  in  song  and  story  as 
“  The  Golden  Caribbean.” 


Black  Pine,  Cherrimoyer,  Avacado  Pear,  Etc. 


